Zero Project
by Exdeathmore
Summary: Six months after the events of the PPGZ anime, a terror from the past awakens, and Tokyo City will soon feel the wrath of 20 years of hatred... A tale of action, drama, romance, and tragedy! Be sure to read all 26 chapters! This story is COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

**PPGZ: Zero Project**  
by **Exdeathmore**

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**Disclaimer:** Powerpuff Girls Z is (c) Toei Animation and Cartoon Network.

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**Prologue:** The Zero Project

Many years ago, a mysterious substance was discovered. Because of its unique properties, and unknown origins, the substance was named "Chemical X". Scientists across the world toiled endlessly to research Chemical X and find a use for it that would benefit mankind as a whole, but all ventures were fruitless. During a time of war, however, a team of researchers attempted to use Chemical X as an energy source, and turn it into a weapon against their enemies. However, such an experiment resulted in both failure and near catastrophe. The project was abandoned, and the true nature of Chemical X remained a mystery for nearly 20 years, until a scientist by the name of Professor Utonium developed a new substance derived from Chemical X: Chemical Z.

* * *

  
When the massive glacier in Tokyo City was destroyed with the Chemical Z beam, two forms of light emerged from within it: white lights, and black lights.

Three white lights struck three particular girls, Momoko Akatsutsumi, Miyako Gotokuji, and Kaoru Matsubara, gifting them with great power. Thus, Powerpuff Girls Z was born.

The black lights, however, were greater in numbers, affecting various people, animals, and even inanimate objects, drawing out their innermost evils and transforming them into monsters bent on creating chaos.

One black light in particular traveled far away from Tokyo City, as if it were seeking some specific object to infect with its dark influence.

* * *

  
The wandering black light arrived at its destination: an abandoned laboratory buried beneath the ground. Dust and cobwebs covered all of the high-tech equipment inside; nobody has used this equipment for years. The black light entered what appeared to be a main computer which monitored the rest of the equipment. The monitor in the middle of the machine turned on as a message began to type itself out:

_**STASIS SEQUENCE ABORTED. ENDING STASIS CYCLE.  
ESTIMATED TIME REMAINING: 6 MONTHS**_

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Time marched on... on the outside world, the three little girls known as Powerpuff Girls Z fought courageously against the monsters of the black light, monsters such as Mojo Jojo, Sedusa, Princess, and the Gangreen Gang. After a final confrontation with the demonic Him, the source of the black light, they were able to seal away his dark power and cast it off into the depths of space. Little did anyone know, the greatest terror to ever threaten Tokyo City would soon awaken: the perfect weapon, created by man, and sealed away because of its terrible power, is about to unleashed upon the world again...

* * *

  
The laboratory monitor wrote out another message:

_**STASIS ABORTION COMPLETE. RESUMING ZERO PROJECT.**_

On the far corner of the derelict lab, a large capsule emitted mist from its sides as the front end started sliding upwards. Before it could finish, though, the hatch was kicked away by a large red boot, knocking it into the wall as it fell to the ground with a clang. A man clad in red body armor with long blond hair that nearly touched the ground and thinned and fanned out at the bottom like a cape emerged from the capsule. His blood red eyes seemed to reflect the angered look on his face. He quickly looked around.

The man stomped across the room, looking for something, or someone. He peeked behind the different machines and equipment, but found nothing. "Where... is the enemy?" He said as he slammed his palm down on a table, kicking up a large cloud of dust. The dust flew into his face as he coughed. The man swatted the dust away and looked around again. His eyes widened as he rushed out of the lab. He tried to push open the exit hatch, but it was welded shut. With a swift thrust of his fist, the hatch flew off as easily as the one on the capsule containing him.

Outside, he leapt to the treetops and observed the surroundings. He looked towards the horizon, and saw a large city in the distance.

"Where... am I?" he asked himself as he stared at the city.

* * *


	2. Chapter 1

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

by **Exdeathmore**

**

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****Chapter 1:** Encounter! Ultimate Soldier, Zero!

Many things had changed in Tokyo City in the 6 months after Powerpuff Z had defeated Him. Non-monster-related crimes became more common. Gangs attacking vulnerable citizens, thugs robbing stores, and the like. With the increase in these crimes, the Mayor of Tokyo City had requested Powerpuff Z's assistance in containing these incidents. For this day in particular, though, things were relatively quiet. Mostly because of one thing...

Citizens who would normally go about their usual business stood in their place, eyes wide, mouths agape, as they stared at the man from the abandoned lab walking down the road. He seemed focused on reaching his destination, whatever it may have been, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving. As he passed a bus stop, he stopped and looked at the people sitting at the bench. They cringed, thinking he was going to do something to them.

"Where... am I?" the man asked them.

"Haaaa...?" one of the stunned citizens managed to gasp. "T, Tokyo City... sir."

"Tokyo... City?" The man glared at the citizen for a moment, then continued on his linear path down the road. "Tokyo... City..." he said to himself as he kept walking.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Professor Utonium's lab, the professor was receiving an urgent message from the mayor.

"Professor Utonium, we have a situation!" the mayor said in a panicked voice.

"What could it be, mayor?" Utonium asked. "Our alarms haven't gone off."

"See for yourself." The monitor switched to a display of the man from earlier. "This strange man is making a scene and disturbing the people. Can't you do something about this?"

"Well, he's not doing anything bad in particular..." said Ken, Professor Utonium's son. "However, his appearance is a little odd. Could he be a new monster?"

* * *

At that time, the man approached a 4-way intersection in the road, a large group of people waiting at the crosswalk.

"Excuse me," the man said as he tried to squeeze past the crowd, when they turned to look at him, they immediately jumped away from him. He continued down the crosswalk, even though the light was still red.

"Hey, mister!" one of the people in the crowd shouted to him. "Didn't you see the signal? It's dangerous!" The man completely ignored him and kept walking. As he reached the middle of the road, there was a loud blaring noise. He turned towards the source, and saw a large truck heading straight towards him. The man stood his ground and stared at the truck, and his right arm started to glow as the truck collided. However, there was no crashing sound. In fact, there was no collision at all. The truck passed right through the man as if he was never there. The man was standing in the same position, only that his right arm was raised in the air, the glow fading from it. After the truck crossed the intersection, it suddenly fell apart into two pieces, and exploded. The subsequent reaction was obvious: the people who witnessed the event began to panic, screaming and running about.

* * *

"Now it's become a problem!" the mayor shouted at Utonium. "Hurry and do something!"

"Right away!" the professor said. He turned around faced a small robotic dog. "Peach! You know what to do!"

"Powerpuff Z da-wan!" the little dog yipped.

* * *

Meanwhile, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru, better known as Powerpuff Z, were all sitting in class, listening to ms. Keane's lecture.

"Ah, that reminds me," Ms. Keane said. "As you all know, class finals are approaching. Keep in mind that these tests will determine if you move on to the next grade, so I hope you have all studied."

"Ge-!" Momoko squeaked. 'I didn't study at all!' she thought to herself. 'I was so busy with other things, like trying new sweets, chasing boys, and being Blossom also took up a lot of my free time!" Suddenly, the compact on her belt began to glow, along with Miyako's and Kaoru's. The three knew what this meant. They all stood up at once.

"Sensei! We're going to the library to study for the finals right away!" they said in unison as they hurried out the door.

"So enthusiastic!" Ms. Keane said. "The rest of the class should follow their example."

Instead of heading to the library as they had said, the three girls headed for their usual secluded spot on the rooftop of the school.

"It's been a while since we've done this," Miyako said.

"Yeah, I'm really pumped up about it!" said Kaoru.

"That was a close one..." Momoko murmured to herself.

"I heard that! You didn't study for those tests at all, did you?" Kaoru asked with a sly grin on her face.

"Who has time to study when you're saving city everyday?" Momoko replied.

"You're just making excuses!"

"Um, aren't we forgetting something?" Miyako interrupted.

"Oh, right!" The three girls pulled their compacts from their belts in lifted them into the air. In a flash of white light, they were reborn as the Powerpuff Girls Z!

* * *

Back at the scene of the incident, the man calmly walked towards the burning wreckage of the truck he had just destroyed. The driver of the truck was trying to crawl away, his face and clothes covered in ash. The red-armored man grabbed the driver by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him into the air with only one hand.

"You..." the man said, glaring. "You tried to harm me..."

"I, I'm sorry!" the driver pleaded. "There wasn't supposed to be anyone on the street when I was driving through! If I knew you there, I would've---"

"No. No excuses. You humans... always making excuses, always trying to bury your mistakes instead of confronting them... just like before..." The man's right arm started glowing again. "You must be punished..."

"No! Please! I'll do anything you want! Just don't hurt me!" The driver begged for his life, but the armored man was unresponsive.

"Hold it!" shouted out three voices. The armored man turned around, still holding the truck driver in his grip, the glow in his arm fading again. He looked up to see three girls descending to the ground from out of the sky. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"Powerpuff Girls... Z..." the man murmured as he did several times before.

"Who are you?" Blossom asked the man.

"Who... am I...?" The man looked like he had to think about his answer. "...My name... is Zero."

"Zero?"

"Put that man down, already!" Buttercup yelled at him.

"This man tried to harm me... he is evil. Therefore... he is my enemy." He glared at the girls. "Are you... my enemy?"

"We don't want to fight," said Bubbles, "but if you don't let him go, we'll have to stop you." Zero immediately released his grip on the truck driver, and completely turned to face the girls.

"You protect this evil person... you three..." Zero's arm began glowing a third time, and in a flash, it transformed itself into a large, long-bladed sword. "You three must be... my enemy!" He immediately charged at the girls, his sword raised. The girls flew away as he brought his blade down, creating a crack that traveled down the road several meters.

"He's strong!" Bubbles commented.

"They're fast," Zero said to himself, "and they are capable of flight. _Compensating..._"

"What's he saying?" asked Buttercup.

"..._Combat data adjustment complete. Commencing new attack pattern!_" Zero leapt into the air, lunging towards Blossom. She wasn't prepared for the sudden attack.

"Get out of the way, Blossom!" Buttercup yelled as she flew in front of her. With a loud CLANG!, Buttercup parried Zero's arm-sword with her giant hammer. "You want to fight? Then fight me!"

"So be it!" Zero replied, pulling back. He began unleashing a series of repeated hacks and slashes on Buttercup, each one blocked, but with each impact, pushing her back.

"I can't keep this up forever! Do something, you guys!"

"Okay!" Bubbles flew around behind Zero, twirling her bubble wand. "Balloon Catcher!" With a wave of the wand, a giant bubble appeared, slowly floating towards Zero.

"A rear attack?" Zero noticed the large bubble. He immediately turned around. With a simple thrust, he effortlessly burst the bubble. "_Prioritizing targets..._"

"His speech..." Buttercup noticed, "He talks like he's a robot or something."

"_Targets prioritized. Resuming attack pattern!_" Zero leapt into the air again, this time aiming for Bubbles.

"Now he's going for Bubbles!?"

"Not if I can help it!" said Blossom. She threw out her yoyo at Zero, wrapping the string around his blade.

"_Terminating target!_" Zero shouted, swinging his sword toward Bubbles, aiming for her neck. Before it could reach it, however, the blade immediately stopped, and was slowly being pulled back. "What!?" He turned around to see Blossom tugging at his arm with all her strength. "Why you..." Zero retaliated violently, pulling back. Blossom was unable to resist the sudden force, and was pulled along by her own yoyo string.

"Uwahh!" Blossom screamed as she was hurdling towards Zero.

"Take this!" Zero pulled back his left hand, ready to unleash a punch on his target. Suddenly, he felt his other arm being grabbed. He turned around to see Buttercup gripping his arm. "Annoying!" he shouted as he swung his arms together, slamming both Blossom and Butter into eachother. After untying the string around his blade, he faced the two, who were still stunned. "I'll finish you both with one blow!"

"I won't let you do that!" Bubbles interjected. "Sticky Bubble! Go!" She swung her wand, and another bubble appeared, except this one appeared thicker, its surface wobbling slowly.

"The same attack?" Zero asked as he faced the bubble. He thrust his blade at it just as he did with the first. However, when the bubble burst, it sprayed out and covered Zero's body. "What is this?" Zero tried to struggle, but the gooey substance restricted his movements. "My body... can't... move!" As he continued wriggling, Bubbles flew past him to check on the others.

"Are you two okay?" she asked, concerned for their well-being."

"We're fine," Blossom replied, looking at Zero. "Now's our chance!" She whipped out her yoyo. "Strawberry Cake Spin!" She shouted a traditional superhero-style elongated name as she hurled the yoyo at Zero, wrapping it around his entire body. "Buttercup! Give me a hand!"

"Ok!" Buttercup got behind Blossom, and they began to tug on the yoyo string. Cracks began to form on the concrete below Zero, and eventually, he was hoisted into the air, along with a slab of the ground that he was bound to. Blossom and Buttercup continued to pull, swinging Zero straight up into the air, and flipping him around behind them.

"Eearrgh!" Zero cried as the ground got closer to his face. He crashed head-first into the ground, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust and debris. When the cloud cleared, Zero was lying on the ground, knocked completely unconscious.

"Phew, finally!" Blossom said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "That was a tough fight. It's been so long, I'm out of practice!"

"I don't know, it was kinda exciting for me!" Buttercup smiled. She looked at Zero. "But we should do something about him, before he wakes up."

"Let's get him to the lab so the Professor can turn him back to normal." said Bubbles. With that, the girls grabbed Zero by his arms and legs and hoisted him off.  


* * *

Later, at the lab, Professor Utonium was working diligently to operate the chemical solution beam used to cure many of Tokyo City's monsters, mostly the weak ones or ones that wanted to return to normal. With Zero strapped down on the operating table, the Professor turned on the beam, bathing Zero in a multicolored light. After about 10 seconds or so, there was absolutely no effect.

"Strange..." The Professor said. "Peach, come over here for a second." The small robotic dog hopped on top of the table. "Take a look at him, and tell me if you sense anything." Peach began to sniff Zero all over his body.

"I don't smell anything da-wan," Peach said. "He doesn't smell like a monster."

"Not a monster? Then, why is he so powerful? Where did his power come from?"  


* * *

At that time, Ken and the girls, now back to their normal forms, were in the next room, sitting on the couch, waiting. The door to the operating room opened up, and Professor Utonium and Peach emerged from the door.

"Well, Professor?" Momoko asked. "How did it go?"

"Is that guy back to normal?" asked Kaoru.

"..." Utonium was silent for a moment.

"Papa?" Ken looked at his father. "What's wrong?"

"...The chemical solution beam had no effect on him," Utonium said. "And Peach says he's not a monster. I can only think of one reason for this."

"Hmm?" Ken and the girls looked confused.

"...I believe that his appearance is his true nature. In other words, he's human."

"Human!?" Kaoru burst out. "What kind of human wears armor and has that kind of power naturally!?"

"I don't know. What did you say his name was again?"

"He seemed to hesitate when we asked him," Miyako said, "but he said his name was 'Zero'."

"Zero!?" Utonium seemed unbelievably shocked. "Did you just say Zero!?" He immediately rushed back into the operating room.

"Professor?" Everyone got up and followed him into the room. He was closely examining Zero's body, using almost every tool in the room to examine him. "What's wrong?"

"...Zero Project..." the Professor murmured. "...It's impossible..."  


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	3. Chapter 2

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

by **Exdeathmore  


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**Chapter 2:** Shadow of the Past, Zero Project

"...Zero Project?" the three girls asked in unison. "What's that?"

"I always thought the Zero Project was a myth, a story made up by the Science Commitee." Utonium looked at Zero, who was still strapped to the operating table, and still unconscious. "But this... this man is living proof that the Zero Project is real!"

"You still didn't answer the question..." Kaoru commented.

"So... what IS the Zero Project?" Momoko asked.

"...It started many years ago, when I was much younger. A new, unidentifiable substance was discovered. Its properties, origins, and uses were all unknown, despite all research on it. Because of that, it was given the name, 'Chemical X'."

"Chemical X!?" Ken asked. "You mean...!"

"Yes. The predecessor to Chemical Z. About 20 years ago, there was a series of rumors circulating around the scientific community. Rumors of forbidden, unethical research involving Chemical X, and the use of unwilling human test subjects."

"Experimenting on people?" Kaoru asked. "That's low!"

"How horrible..." said Miyako.

"The most popular rumor was about a project to use Chemical X as a serum to create supersoldiers. That was the Zero Project."

"So, this person who calls himself Zero..."

"If the rumors are true, then I believe this man is the test subject from the Zero Project. Take a look at this." Professor Utonium turned on a monitor, which was displaying a full-body X-ray image of Zero. Looking at the picture, there was little to no organs, and lots of wires and circuits where organs should be.

"What the!?" Momoko gasped. "He really IS a robot!"

"You're only half-right," Utonium continued. "I've heard that during the Zero Project, the test subject's body reacted in a very negative manner when he was injected with Chemical X. So, to remedy that difficulty, they slowly began to replace his organic body parts with cybernetics that ran on Chemical X. To be scientifically correct, this man is actually a cyborg."

"This is a lot to take in," said Miyako.

"My head's spinning from all this science mumbo-jumbo," said Kaoru.

"Don't worry, I'm almost done," the Professor said. "The last thing I ever heard about the Zero Project was when I was in college. I heard that it was very close to completion, but something went wrong. They lost control over the test subject, and he began to rampage. The only way the scientists could prevent the situation from spiraling out of control was to seal the test subject through a cryogenic capsule. After that, there weren't any further stories or rumors abou the Zero Project, and any discussion involving it was considered taboo by the entire scientific community."

"After hearing that..." Momoko said, "I feel almost sorry for Zero..."

"Nnnnggh..." Suddenly, there was a groaning sound. Everyone in the room turned their attention to the operating table. Zero began to stir, waking up from his coma. He slowly opened his red eyes, and looked around.

"...Where am I?" he asked. His voice sounded different from when he fought Powerpuff Z earlier. He sound more human, and less like a robot. "Who are you people?"

"...Zero?" Utonium tried to address him.

"Zero... that was the name I was given." He tried to get up, but quickly realized his body was still strapped to the table. "What is this? Why am I on this table?"

"Please stay calm, Zero. We're trying to help you. I'm Professor Utonium, and you're in my laboratory."

"Professor? Laboratory?" Zero observed his surroundings. "No... no, not again!"

"Please stay calm! We aren't trying to hurt you!"

"Lies! You're lying to me! I won't let you do this to me! Not again!" Zero began to thrash about violently, wearing down the leather straps on the table.

"Look out!" Ken shouted to the others. They all jumped away from the table as Zero burst free from his bonds.

"I'll never be a tool, not to you, not to anyone, or anything! Because of people like you..." He began to trail off, gritting his teeth, and his fists tightening. "I'll never become a tool! I'll rid this world of all evil! That is the promise I made to myself!" Zero charged for the wall, and with a powerful punch, knocked a hole large enough to him to run through.

"He's getting away!" said Ken. "We need to stop him before he gets into town!"

"Wait, Ken!" Utonium interrupted. "If we try to capture him again, it would only enrage him further."

"Then what are we supposed to do, Papa? We can't just let him loose like that." Just then, the laboratory alarms began to sound. The monitor that displayed Zero's X-ray quickly changed to an image of the mayor.

"Mayor, what is it?" Utonium asked.

"I'm sorry to bother you so soon, but we have another problem! Mojo is running rampant downtown! Please send Powerpuff Z to assist us!"

"But what about Zero?" Momoko asked.

"It'll have to wait for now," said Utonium. "For now... Powerpuff Z, move out!"

"Okay!" The girls pulled out and activated their compacts, transforming back into Powerpuff Z, using the hole made by Zero to leave.

* * *

"Mojojojojojo!" the evil monkey Mojo Jojo cackled to himself a he piloted his generic model Mojo Robo. "Today for sure, I'll take over the city, and then the world, mojo! And so far, no Powerpuff Z to ruin my plans! Not that they will today, mojo!" His self-glorification was cut short by three all-too-familiar voices.

"Not so fast!" Before he knew it, Mojo was confronted by Powerpuff Z. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"At it again, are we, Mojo?" Blossom asked their first, and most persistent, nemesis.

"Annoying Powerpuff Z! I'll be the one that wins this time, with this Mojo Robo Mark 37!"

"37?" Buttercup asked. "We only busted up 37 of your robots? I could've sworn it was more, at least 50..."

"Maybe it was even more...?" Miyako added. As the girls began to discuss how many times they had beaten Mojo in the past, his patience began running thin.

"Grrr... does it even matter, mojo!?" He yelled at them. "Either way, this time I'll be the one beating you into the ground!" The Mojo Robo began to pull back its fist, winding up for a hard punch. "Take this mojo!" Just as he began to throw his punch, there was a bright flash, and what appeared to be a streak of light passing through the Mojo Robo's arm. Suddenly, the robot's arm dropped to the ground, severed from its body. "What just happened mojo!?" Mojo gawked at his robot's severed arm. Just then, there was another flash, and another streak, this time passing through the robot's legs. The Mojo Robo's torso fell backwards, crashing to the ground.

"What was that just now?" Blossom asked.

"It wasn't me," Buttercup said.

"Me neither," said Bubbles. Just then, a large red streak flew past the girls and stopped right front of Mojo's cockpit. "That's...!"

"Zero!" The other two girls finished the sentence.

"Who the heck are you, mojo!?" Mojo demanded an answer from Zero.

"I don't have to tell you something like that!" Zero replied. "An evil being like you has no place in this world!" Zero's arm glowed and transformed into a sword again, and tried to aim straight for Mojo's cockpit.

"Gwahh! How violent! Eject, mojo!" Mojo quickly pressed a button on his control panel, jettisoning his cockpit and abandoning the Mojo Robo. Zero's blade cleaved through the hollow torso with ease, destroying it almost instantly. "I'd rather fight Powerpuff Z then someone like you! I'm getting out of here! Mojoooo!" With that remark, Mojo flew off into the distance. As the smoke from the Mojo Robo's explosion cleared, Zero stood amongst the rubble, his arm returning to normal. The girls landed behind Zero, making sure to keep their distance.

"Zero?" Blossom tried to call to him.

"That beast escaped me," Zero said. "Next time, I'll make sure to destroy it!"

"Wow, and I thought I was violent," Buttercup remarked.

"Powerpuff Girls Z..." Zero turned to face them. "You were prepared to fight that monster just now... You confuse me."

"Confuse you? How?" Bubbles asked.

"You were willing to fight that monster, and yet you tried to protect that man who almost ran me down with his truck. I can't tell if you really are heroes or enemies... Why do you fight?"

"Of course, to protect Tokyo City from monsters and criminals!" Blossom confidently answered. "And in return, I get to eat as many sweets as I want!"

"And I get to read all the latest and most popular fashion magazines!" Bubbles added.

"And I get to watch as much sports shows as I want!" Buttercup finished.

"So you only fight for your own gain?" Zero asked them.

"Well, we are rewarded for helping," Blossom tried to explain, "but that's not the only---"

"Selfish," Zero interrupted. "You three are selfish. Enforcing the law only for your own gain, and yet you have the gall to call yourselves heroes? Hmph..."

"Hey, let us finish before making that kind of judgment!" Buttercup spoke up.

"If you were real heroes, there would be only one reason for you to fight... true justice. To not only prevent evil, but to also destroy it whenever it appears. You three aren't heroes... you're just charlatans! I'll let you go for now, but the next time you keep me from dispensing true justice upon the wicked... you three will be my enemies... and I will destroy you." Zero began to walk away. "Farewell for now, Powerpuff Girls Z." He then raced off at a blinding speed.

"True justice?" Buttercup asked. "What is he talking about?"

"If he believes that acting as judge, jury, and executioner is true justice," Bubbles said, "then he is the one that's wrong."

"..." Blossom was quiet.

"Something wrong, Blossom?" Buttercup asked.

"...He's sort of right..."

"Hmm?"

"I've been a big fan of superheroes ever since I was a baby. They always fought for justice, beating the bad guys, protecting the innocent. But everytime, none of those heroes ever asked for anything in return, they just did it because it was the right thing to do."

"Blossom..." Bubbles looked concerned. This was probably the first time she and Buttercup saw their friend act so seriously.

"...His speech...was _super-cool_!!" Blossom suddenly reverted to her overly joyous mood. "He spoke like a real rival or anti-hero, just like from anime and manga!"

"Oi, Blossom..." Buttercup muttered. "That's something that shouldn't really be admired..."

"Ah! Sorry! Of course, if Zero goes overboard with his kind of overly violent justice, we'll just have to keep him in check! It's been a long day, so he probably won't cause too much trouble for now." The girls flew off across the afternoon sky, back to the lab.

* * *

Later, back at the abandoned lab, a tired Zero entered the room and sat down on a dusty chair next to a shattered glass capsule.

"Powerpuff Girls Z... are my enemies," he muttered to himself. "They are strong, I admit. However, they will eventually become a problem. There must be something I can do to gain an advantage over them..." As he contemplated this problem by himself, a nearby computer silently printed out a message on a monitor.

_**PROCESSING REQUEST...**_

Suddenly, the dust-coated machinery began to slowly churn, rusty gears squeaking, and broken dials twitching about.

"What?" Zero stood up, surprised that the machines started on their own. "What's happening?" Across the room, there was a small machine with a hatch and conveyor belt extending from it. Steam shot out of the cracks of the hatch as it slowly and jaggedly slid open. The conveyor belt creaked as it rolled forward, pulling a large canister out of the machine. The canister was slim and cylindrical, with a dome-shaped lid. The canister was also transparent, and inside it was a swirling mass of black gas. A letter '_Z_' was engraved into the lid.

"This canister...?" Zero picked it up and examined it more closely. "Could it be...?"

* * *


	4. Chapter 3

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

by **Exdeathmore  


* * *

**

**Chapter 3:** Evil Awakens! Black Gas Monsters!

"This canister..." Zero examined the canister that emerged from the 20-year-old machine. "What is it? And why did the machines suddenly start?" He looked around the room, and saw a message displayed on one of the monitors.

_**REQUEST PROCESSED. ELABORATING UTILITY...**_

The monitor displayed an image of a person-shaped figure, with an image of the canister beside it. The canister burst open, and the gas inside floated over to the figure, enveloping it. As Zero continued to watch the demonstration, his eyes widened.

"I see..." he said. He looked down at the canister in his hands. "I know what must be done..."

* * *

"Ahh!!" A woman screamed. "Help! I'm being mugged!"

"Shut up!" said a rough-looking thug, holding the woman at knifepoint in a secluded alley. "Just hand over the goods and you'll get to leave in one piece!"

"Please don't hurt me!" The woman pleaded. She dropped her purse in front of the thief, and ran off screaming.

"Making such a fuss," the thug said as he picked up the purse. "Gotta scram before the cops show up, or worse, Those Powerpuff Z people." He ran further into the alley, into a network of back-alleys in the slums of the city. After running for quite a distance, he stopped and sat down next to a wall and opened up the purse. "Now, let's see what I scored..." Among the items he pulled out were a cell phone, a small collection of photos, and various makeup items. "C'mon, where's the real goods!?" Just then, he pulled out the woman's checkbook and wallet. "Ha! There it is! And all the checks are pre-signed! The best score ever! Money really does make life easier for anyone!"

"Is that so?" came a voice from around the corner.

"Huh? Who's there!?" the thug demanded, jumping to his feet. Just then, Zero emerged from around the corner, carrying the canister from earlier under one arm. "Crap! The cops!"

"I'm not the police," Zero said. "And I'm not here to arrest you. I have another plan in mind for someone like you..."

"Wh, what are you talking about?"

"You humans experimented on me, making me into what I am now. Now, it's time I returned the favor by experimenting on you." Zero placed the canister on the ground, twisted the lid, and pulled it off. A cloud of black gas immediately shot out of the canister, headed for the thief.

"U, uwaaahhhh!!" the thief screamed as the gas enveloped his body.

* * *

"How can I help you today, ma'am?" asked a teller at a bank.

"I need you to lock down my bank card immediately," said the woman who was mugged by the thug earlier today. "I was robbed today, and the thief has my debit card. I've already called the police to find him, so until they catch him, I want my card locked down so it can't be used."

"Okay. I'll input it into our system immediately. It should only take a few---" Before the teller could finish, the doors to the outside swung open, and surprisingly, the very thug that mugged the woman was staggering in.

"AHH!" the woman screamed. "That's him! That's the guy who robbed me!"

"Security!" the teller shouted. "Grab that man!" The security officers complied, grabbing the man by the arms.

"Money..." the man muttered. His body began to glow with a black aura. "Hand it over!!" he shouted. Suddenly, a swirling black storm appeared around the man, knocking the secrity guards away. The thug was devoured by the black vortex, and when it dispersed, the thug's appearance drastically changed. He appeared as a robot clad in golden body armor, his arms replaced by gatling guns. "Hand it _ALL_ over!!"

"Monster!!" the bank clients and employees began panicking.

"Everyone on the floor, _NOW_!" the monster shouted, firing his gatling guns around the room, forcing everyone to take cover. He then pointed to one of the tellers with his gun arm. "You there! Open up the safe! _NOW_!"

"Okay, Okay!! Just please don't kill me!" The teller scrambled towards the safe in the back of the room, and started inputting the combination.

"Money makes everything better!" the monster chuckled as he looked on.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Utonium's lab...

"Wan! Wan! Grrr..." Peach barked and growled.

"What is it, Peach?" Ken asked his friend.

"I smell a monster! It has a really strong aura, too!"

"A strong aura!? Not good! You know what to do!"

"Powerpuff Z da-wan!!"  


* * *

Meanwhile, at the girls' school, they were receiving another lecture about preparing for finals from the teacher. The teacher jotted several mathematical formulae on the chalkboard.

"Please take note, class," the teacher said. "That all of these formulas will be in your finals." He turned around to face the students. "Akatsutsumi, Gotokuji, Matsubara!"

"Y, yes, sensei?" the three stammered.

"This especially applies to you three, seeing how you've taken leave of your classes practically every day. I certainly hope your absences do not affect your performance on the tests."

"Yes, sensei..." Just then, the girls' compacts started beeping. All three stood up. "We'll make sure to be ready by going to the library right now!" they said in unison as they dashed out of the room.

"W, wait a minute! Class is still in session!" The teacher scratched his head. "First, they make excuses to go to the infirmary, now the library... what next?"

* * *

Once on the roof of the school, Momoko pulled out her compact and flipped it open. "What is it, Professor?" she asked, the other two looking over her shoulders.

"There's a robbery in progress at the bank downtown!" Utonium said. "They need Powerpuff Z!"

"You mean we skipped class for a run-of-the-mill crime?" Kaoru interrupted. "Besides, isn't that something the police are supposed to be able to handle?"

"Well, normally, yes, but---"

"You really shouldn't call us for every little thing," Miyako added. "Especially at this busy time in our school."

"But this isn't a normal robbery! And the police can't handle this on their own!" The display on the compact switched to an image of police officer firing their pistols at the gold robot monster, their bullets ricocheting off. The monster retaliated, firing both his gatling gun arms at them, riddling the patrol cars full of holes. "You see!?"

"You should have said that in the first place!" said Kaoru.

"I was _trying_ to... a-anyways, you need to get over there before someone gets seriously hurt!"

"Okay!" The girls pulled out their compacts, and transformed into Powerpuff Z, then flew off at superspeed.

* * *

"We're taking a pounding here, Captain!" one of the police oficers at the bank yelled into his radio. "We need the SWAT team, no---the National Guard!"

"Hang on a little longer!" the police captain on the other end of the radio responded. "I just received word from the mayor! Powerpuff Z is coming to relieve you soon!" Just as he finished his sentence, three colored streaks of light appeared overhead.

"They're here!" the officer cheered. "Powerpuff Girls Z!"

Author's Note: Yes, that was intentional.

"Not so fast!" the girls shouted at the golden robot as they landed.

"Erh?" the monster grunted. "Who's there?"

"Fighting Love Science Legend! Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"Bank robberies are so overdone, you know!" Blossom said.

"Couldn't you think of something more original?" asked Buttercup.

"Ehh!!? Shaddup and eat this!!" the robot screamed, firing its gatling guns at the girls. The girls scattered to avoid the flurry of bullets.

"Hey!" Blossom yelled at the monster. "That's real reckless!"

"Those kinds of guns are real dangerous! Please just give up before you really hurt someone!" Bubbles tried to request.

"Shaddup!" the robot snapped back. "If you get between me and my money, I'll pump you full of lead!" He aimed at Buttercup, and started shooting again.

"You won't be able to hit me that easily!" Buttercup said, swerving out of the way of the attack. "Megaton Dunk!" With a powerful swing, she struck the robot's arm with her hammer, bending it out of shape and rendering it useless.

"Raahh! I'll make you pay for that!" The robot swung at Buttercup with his other arm, striking her on her side and knocking her to the ground.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles flew in closer. "Sticky Bubbles, go!" She blew into her bubble wand, and a small cluster of bubbles flew outwards.

"Say your prayers, kid!" the robot said, aiming his remaining gun-arm at Buttercup, not noticing the incoming bubbles. They made contact with the tip of his gun, bursting and clogging the barrels. Just then, the gatling gun began to revolve, but no bullets were coming out. After spinning for a second or so, the gatling gun suddenly exploded, from the buildup of bullets in the shafts. The explosion knocked the robot on its back. "You little brats..." he grunted. "You broke my guns! I'll kick your---"

"Not if I stop you first!" Blossom interrupted. "Choco-cake Spin!" She shot out her yo-yo, striking the robot's chest, and grinding it upwards into his face, knocking him completely out. The girls approached the robot cautiously. "Did we get him?"

"It would seem so," came a familiar voice. They turned around to see Zero standing right behind them. "It looks like you were able to stop him before I needed to intervene."

"Zero!" Blossom said. "What are you doing here?"

"I bet you had something to with this, didn't you?" Buttercup asked him. Before he could answer, the Professor's van came rolling down the street, screeching to a halt in front of the bank. Utonium immediately got out, the chemical solution gun in hand.

"I got here as fast as I could!" the Professor said. "That monster looked so dangerous, I thought it would be better to cure it as soon as possible!" He aimed the gun at the golden robot, and bathed it in its multicolored light. The robot began to glow, and slowly morphed back into the street thug he was before.

"Hmph," Zero said. "So the effects are reversible. Unfortunate..."

"I knew it!" Buttercup snapped at him. "You did have something to do with this!"

"That's right. I was responsible for that."

"But why?" Bubbles asked. "Why would you create a monster when you say you fight for justice? Just what are trying to do?"

"I didn't 'make' a monster, I merely drew one out of hiding. That monster is a reflection of that man's innermost evil. As for my intents, I'm trying to make a statement to this city."

"What?" Utonium seemed confused. "What kind of statement?"

"...The true 'monsters' walk among us all. I will draw the evil out of every single one, and destroy them all!"

"Like I'll let that happen!" Buttercup took a swing at Zero, but was immediately blocked when Zero grabbed the end of her hammer.

"You're 10 years too young..." Zero said. "...to defeat me!" He grabbed the hammer with his other hand and hurled Buttercup away from him, slamming her into a wall. "This man was the first, but he will not be the last. Far from the last!" With that statement, he rushed out of the bank and leapt across the roofs of the buildings.

"Buttercup, are you okay?" Bubbles asked, helping her to her feet.

"That guy..." Buttercup grumbled. "...one of these days, I'll totally kick his butt!"

"There's still something that bothers me..." Utonium pondered. "Peach detected this monster as if he was created from Him's black aura."

"But we beat Him 6 months ago!" Blossom said. "How can that be possible?"

"I want to know just as much as you. How did Zero turn this man into a monster?"

* * *

At the abandoned lab, Zero walked across to the only chair in the room, kicking aside an empty glass canister, most likely the one he used on the thug.

"They went through that trouble to turn that criminal back to normal... they really are charlatans, those three," he said to himself. "No matter, he was only the first... six to go..." He looked next to the machine that created the gas canister, and sitting next to it were six more canisters of black gas. The machines in the lab hummed ominously, as if they were enjoying the spectacle.


	5. Chapter 4

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

by **Exdeathmore  


* * *

**

**Chapter 4:** Eternal Slumber? The Second Sin

It was what felt like a long day at the National Science Research Center. Professor Utonium was gazing at a monitor, watching a playback of the iceberg explosion that started everything. Just then, Ken and Peach entered the room.

"Papa?" Ken asked as he saw his father. "What are you doing?"

"..." Utonium didn't seem to hear him. When the footage ended, he pressed a button and rewinded it, watching it again. "How?" he asked himself.

"Huh?"

"How did Zero make that monster? Was it the black light, part of Him's soul, or the black particles that Him could create? Either one doesn't make any sense..."

"Papa, are you okay?"

"Uh?" the Professor turned around and noticed Ken and Peach. "Oh, Ken. I'm sorry, I've been so absorbed into investigating this matter."

"It's okay. I want to solve this as much as you do."

"Peach, are you _absolutely_ sure the monster from yesterday a real one?"

"I'm sure da-wan!" Peach replied. "I could see a black aura around it! It was just like all the other monsters."

"I was hoping you were mistaken..."

"Why?" Ken asked.

"6 months ago, when Powerpuff Z defeated Him, they had used the Kennainium they collected from the past to seal away the black light, and cast it off into space. Now, Zero has mysteriously appeared, and is able to create a monster that emits the same black aura as all the other monsters in Tokyo City."

"That leaves 2 major questions then... Who, or what, caused Zero to appear, and how did he create that monster? Hmm..."

* * *

At that time, inside the abandoned lab, Zero sat in his lone chair, fidgeting with the empty canister he had used the other day.

"The canister's contents did just as the simulation demonstrated, but the effects are reversible..." he mumbled to himself. He looked at the group of six canisters across the room. "Now then, for the next target..."

* * *

"Hey, you lazy bum!" a man in a suit screamed at another young man, who was asleep in a chair.

"Mmm... huh?" the younger man slowly opened his eyes, smacking his lips. "Ah! Boss!"

"I've caught you again! Sleeping on the job! This is the third time since you started working here!"

"I'm sorry! I promise, I won't... let..." The young man let out a long yawn. "...it happen again."

"You're a part-time worker here, and all you have to do is just file and organize the paperwork in this room!"

"But I _do_!"

"Then what's that over _there_!?" The man pointed to a massive stack of papers.

"Th, those weren't there before... I'll put them away right now!"

"No you won't. You know why?"

"Huh? Why not?"  


* * *

Outside an office building, the door swung open, and the young man from before was tossed out onto the curb.

"Because you're _FIRED_, that's why!" said the angry businessman as he slammed the door shut. The young man got back on his feet and looked at his former workplace.

"But... that job was the only thing I had... Now what am I..." He let out another yawn. "...supposed to do for a living?" His head hung low, he slumped away from the building. When he passed by a lone alley, he stopped and looked down it. It was relatively clean for an alley, occupied only by a dumpster and a few stray pieces of trash. He crept into the alley and sat down, laying his back against the wall.

"Maybe he was right..." the man said to himself, sobbing. "It was such a simple job, and I even couldn't do that..." Once again, he yawned. "...right." The young man sighed and buried his face between his knees. "I'll never be anything but a lazy bum, like he said. This alley suits someone like me perfectly..."

"I disagree," came a voice. "You could do at least one thing for this city."

"What could a bum like me do?" the young man asked, not even bothering to see who was talking to him.

"I'll show you, but unfortunately... it will also be the last thing you do in this life."

"Huh!?" the young man immediately looked around him, and his eyes widened at what he saw. "Gwahhhh!!!"  


* * *

A few hours later, the young man from before was wandering down a busy sidewalk, seemingly unharmed in any way.

"What happened back there, anyway?" he asked himself. "I can't... even... remem..." He stopped to let out a long, drawn-out yawn. "...ber." He then continued to wander down the sidewalk. Shortly afterwards, everyone in the immediate area started to yawn, and their movements became more sluggish. A driver on the road then yawned, and actually fell asleep at the wheel. His car swerved off the road and crashed into a building, but despite the sudden disaster, the people around it didn't seem to notice or even care. Atop one of the buildings in the area, Zero looked down on the streets below, watching the young man.

"That's right," Zero said. "One last thing you can do for this city is show them how much trouble your laziness can cause. Then there will be no excuse for me to rid the world of someone like you." He looked a little longer, then closed his eyes and muttered something to himself.

"...Sloth."  


* * *

Meanwhile, at the Mayor's office, the mayor was quietly sitting at his desk, waiting for his secretary, Miss Bellum.

"...This is unlike Miss Bellum," the mayor said to himself. "She said there were some important documents I needed to look at today." Just then, Miss Bellum entered the office, her head hung low, her feet dragging across the carpeted floor. "Miss Bellum, where have you been? You've never been late to work before!"

"Forgive me, Mr. Mayor..." Miss Bellum's voice trailed off. "For some reason, I'm... feeling a little..." She let out a long, drawn-out yawn, and suddenly collapsed on the floor.

"Ah!! Miss Bellum! Miss Bellum!" The mayor rushed over and started shaking her. "Wake up, Miss Bellum! I'm only the mayor, I can't manage this city without you!"  


* * *

Back at Utonium's lab, the girls were relaxing with their usual routine: Momoko reading mangas while munching on sweets, Miyako skimming through all the latest fashion magazines, and Kaoru cheering for her favorite sports team on the television. They were abruptly interrupted when the main monitor turned on, with an overly distressed Mayor on the screen.

"Terrible news!" the mayor cried, sweat trickling down his face.

"What is it, Mayor?" asked the Professor.

"It's Miss Bellum! Look at her!" He pointed behind him to Miss Bellum, asleep on the floor. "She's never fallen asleep like this before! NEVER! I've done everything to wake her up, but she won't!"

"What can we do about it, Mayor? Maybe Miss Bellum just finally got overworked, and---" Utonium was interrupted when several alarms started going off. "We'll have to talk about this later, Mayor! Something's come up!" The monitor display switched to a multi-screen view of various points in the city. On all the displays, All of the people were asleep or falling asleep. Cars wrecked off the roads, papers and trash littering the streets. "What in the world is going on!? Could the Mayor have on to something?"

"_*sniff* *sniff*,_" Peach started sniffing the air. "I sense another monster da-wan! It's almost exactly like the last one!"

"Another new monster? Could this be Zero's work, too?" Utonium shook his head. "Regardless, something needs to be done! Powerpuff Girls Z, move out!"

"Okay!" the girls responded, immediately stopping what they were doing.

"Powerpuff Z da-wan!" Peach cried out.  


* * *

At that time, out in the streets of Tokyo City, the young man continued his slow trek across town.

"Maybe I should look for... _*yawn*_ ...another job. Maybe tomo... _*yawn*_ ...rrow." Suddenly, a swirling black vortex began to form around him, until it completely enveloped him. When the vortex cleared, the young man was transformed into a rotund, purple robot-like monster. "On second thought... why bother? Why should anyone bother?" The monster trodded on down the street.

"Hold it right there!" came three voices from behind. The purple robot turned around to see Powerpuff Z approaching him. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"Huh? _*yawn*_ Who?" the sluggish monster asked.

"So you're the one making everyone in town fall asleep!" Blossom said.

"So what if I am? Why does it..._ *yawn*_ ...matter?"

"Because, look at all the... _*yawn*_ trouble you're making..." Blossom started feeling drowsy.

"Blossom, are you okay?" Bubbles asked.

"I think so... but that yawning is... _*yawn*_ ...contaigious... That must be how... he..." Before she could finish, Blossom passed out on the ground.

"Blossom!" Bubbles gasped.

"I don't see no trouble around here... _*yawn*_" the robot said, looking around him. "See? Perfectly... _*yawn*_ quiet. Maybe you should take a nap, too, like your friend here." Suddenly a pair of speakers popped out of the robot's shoulders, and started emitting a strange melody.

"I'm not ready to take a nap just yet!" Buttercup said, jumping back. "Come on, Bubbles, let's beat this guy before---"

"Good night," Bubbles said as she fell asleep, propping herself up on her wand.

"You should sleep too," the robot said. "You'll feel better, and never have to worry about anything again, like me."

"Sorry," Buttercup replied, "but I'm just not that kind of person!" She pulled out her hammer, and took a wide swing with it. "Swing Sonic!" A green bolt of energy shot out of the head of the hammer, but the attack was dispersed when it hit the robot monster. "He's tough... that just means I have to hit harder! Hurricane Lutz!" Buttercup spun around rapidly, turning herself into a human tornado.

"So much... _*yawn*_ energy," the robot said. "Maybe I should... _*yawn*_ run." The purple robot tried to escape, but its movement was far too sluggish. Buttercup's attack slammed into his back hard, knocking him flat on his face.

"So much for that," said Buttercup. "I won't be able to bring him to the lab by myself..." She went over to Bubbles and started shaking her. "Bubbles! Bubbles, wake up! Come on!"

"Mmmm... huh?" Bubbles slowly opened her eyes, and gave a vacant look at Buttercup. "Is it morning already?"

"Try to stay awake, Bubbles, and help me wake Blossom." She went over to Blossom and started shaking her as well. "Wake up Blossom! Pull yourself together!"

"Mmm..." Blossom groaned. "No thanks..." she murmured to herself, "I'll be having thirds..."

"She must be dreaming about a snack buffet," Bubbles joked.

"In that case..." Buttercup lifted up her hammer. "Sorry about this, Blossom, but it's the only way!" _**THWACK!**_ The hammer fell right on top of Blossom's head, making her jump up immediately.

"_OUCH!_" she screamed, grabbing her head. "What was that for, Buttercup!?" she yelled. "Wait, what just happened?"

"The monster put you two to sleep," Buttercup said. "We should take him to the lab before he wakes up."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," said Bubbles, pointing at the purple robot. He was fast asleep, snoring loudly.  


* * *

At the lab, the girls and the Professor used the chemical solution beam on the purple robot monster, and he slowly morphed back into the young man he once was.

"There, that should do it," utonium said. "Hopefully, since we got rid of the source, everyone in town should be waking up and going back to their normal routines."

"Unnnh..." the young man groaned as he woke up from his nap. "_*yawn*_ That was a good nap. Huh? Where am I? How long was I sleeping?"

"We need to ask you something," the Professor said to him. "Did anyone suspicious-looking approach you recently?"

"Huh... I don't think so... wait, there was that one guy with the big hair..."

"Big hair?" Blossom asked. "That must have been Zero!"

"Can you show us where you saw him?" Bubbles asked the man.

"Uh, sure... _*yawn*_ If you can take me there."  


* * *

Moments later, after being guided by the young man, he and the girls arrived at the alley where Zero had approached the man.

"This is the place," he said, pointing at the alley. "I was going to take a nap right there, then the guy with the big hair came up to me and did something, but I can't remember what it was..."

"That's all we need to know," said Buttercup. "Thanks for your help."

"No... _*yawn*_ ...problem. I got a serious headache, and it feels like my spine might be a little out of place. I think I'll go home and... _*yawn*_ take a nap..." The young man walked off, scratching his head and continuing his habitual yawning.

"There has to be a clue or something around here," Blossom said. "Let's search this alley." The girls started looking, starting with the dumpster. The only thing inside, however, were piles of garbage bags. Then, Blossom noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Next to the dumpster was an empty glass cylinder with a golden dome-shaped object next to it. She went over to them and picked them up. "What's this?"

"Did you find something?" Bubbles asked her.

"Look at this." She held up the cylinder and dome so the others could see.

"Hey, look at the engraving on the gold," Buttercup said, pointing to the engraved letter '_Z_' on the dome-shaped object.

"Z... could that mean...!"

"Zero..."  


* * *

"Grr, I got careless," Zero grumbled in his chair, shaking his fist. "I shouldn't have left the canister behind. It probably won't matter, anyway. They'll never learn about my goal unless I tell them myself. Two down, five to go... which should I do next?"


	6. Chapter 5

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Bell is (c) Bleedman.

* * *

**Chapter 5:** The Third Sin! Girls vs. Zero, Round 2

Inside the abandoned laboratory, Zero was using one of the old computers to analyze Powerpuff Z's combat abilities. On the monitor were pictures of all three of them, and text that corresponded with them:

_**HYPER BLOSSOM  
POWER:3  
DEFENSE:3  
SPEED:5**_

_**ROLLING BUBBLES  
POWER:2  
DEFENSE:5  
SPEED:2**_

_**POWERED BUTTERCUP  
POWER:6  
DEFENSE:4  
SPEED:3**_

"These statistics..." Zero said to himself. "Their teamwork makes all the numbers balance out. However..." He expanded the image of Buttercup. "I'm intrigued by this 'Buttercup'. Why is it that her statistics are the most deviant of the three? Did I make an error in the calculations? Hmm..." He pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "I'll look into it later. But for now..." He looked at the remaining 5 canisters of black gas.

* * *

Later that day, in the shopping district of Tokyo City, there was a girl, with long, snow-white hair and faint blue eyes, wearing a black hairband and a white dress with black lace accents. As she walked past an electronics store, all the televisions in the window display were playing a recording of Powerpuff Z in action, fighting evil. The girl stopped in front of the window and watched the display for a moment.

"Powerpuff Girls Z..." the girl murmured as she looked on. She let out a sigh. "Hmph!" She turned away, sticking up her nose, and continued on her way. She passed by a small group of people that were gossiping.

"Hey, did you hear about Powerpuff Z and the bank robbery the other day?" one of the people asked.

"I did!" said another. "A friend of mine was in the bank when it happened!"

"I heard there's a new monster in Tokyo City," said a third person, "and that he's making more monsters! As if this city didn't have enough trouble!"

"Powerpuff Girls Z..." the girl said again, this time a little more roughly. She kept walking, and stopped in front of a newspaper dispenser. On the front page was a story:

_**POWERPUFF Z THWART BANK ROBBERY!**_

The picture with the story showed Powerpuff Z and the golden robot monster that tried to rob the bank from before. Next to it was a photo of Zero, and another message:

_**ZERO: MONSTER, OR VIGILANTE?**_

"Powerpuff Girls Z...!" the girl growled as she kept walking, looking vexed. On the side of one of the buildings she passed was a poster advertising Powerpuff Girls Z action figures. The girl walked up to the poster as she gritted her teeth. "Powerpuff Girls Z!" she nearly shouted out as she grabbed the poster and ripped it off the wall, tearing it up in her hands. "What's so special about them, anyway!? Anybody could get that kind of recognition if they had superpowers like Powerpuff Z! They just got lucky!" She balled up her hands, tightening her fists. "Anyone could do that... if they had powers... why couldn't it have been me?"

"Are you saying you're... jealous?" came a voice from nowhere.

"Huh?" the girl looked around, trying to find out where the voice came from. "Who's there?"

"Are you saying you could do better than Powerpuff Z if you were given the chance?"

"Of course I could! I wouldn't let myself be distracted by stupid antics like they do!"

"In that case..." Suddenly, a glass canister dropped out of the sky, landing in front of the girl. "I present you with a gift." The canister's lid popped open, releasing a cloud of black gas that surrounded the girl.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the National Science Research Center, Professor Utonium was examining the empty canister the girls had found the other day. Using a high-powered microscope, he looked over every cubic inch of the canister, hoping to find some clue as to what it had contained.

"Nothing," the Professor said, sighing. "What could have possibly been in this canister? All we know is that it belonged to Zero, and it might be the key to how he creates monsters. Maybe a spectrometry would reveal something..." Just then, the mayor appeared on the emergency monitor.

"Professor, we have a situation on our hands!" the mayor said in a panicked pace. "The Gangreen Gang is causing a ruckus in the commercial district! We need Powerpuff Z!"

"They'll be on the way, mayor! Powerpuff Girls Z, mo---"

"Ahh! You work fast, Professor! They're already there! Well, one is, at least."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"See for yourself." The display switched to a scene of four of the five Gangreen Gang members heaped up in a pile, beaten and bruised. A girl with long, snow-white hair and faded blue eyes, wearing a black headband and a white and gray uniform exactly identical to Powerpuff Z, then tossed the last member, Big Billy, on top of the pile of criminals. "She seems to have done a fine job on her own, although... I don't recognize her."

"Who in the world is that girl?" Utonium asked himself, looking at the mysterious Powerpuff. "We need to find out. Even though there's no trouble... Powerpuff Z, move out!"

* * *

At the scene of the incident, the mystery girl was keeping watch over the Gangreen Gang until the police arrived.

"Uuoooo..." Grubber groaned.

"I think my stomach's twisted up in knots," said Big Billy.

"W, who in the world is this Powerpuff?" Ace asked.

"Quiet!" the girl yelled at Ace, grabbing him by the collar of his coat. "I didn't say you could talk, so just shut up until the police show up!"

"Oi oi, don't be so rough! We lost already, for pete's sake!"

"Are you talking back to me!?" The girl's faded blue eyes started glowing green, and a black aura began to form around her.

"Y, you're a monster!?" Ace was confused.

"I thought I told you to shut it!!" The girl pulled back her fist, ready to punch him square in the face.

"Hold it!" shouted out three voices. The girl let go of Ace and turned around to see Powerpuff Z posing behind her. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"It took you long enough," the girl said smugly. "And posing? Please... I could find better ways to waste time."

"Wearing our uniform, fighting our bad guys..." Buttercup said. "Who do you think you are!?"

"The only _REAL_ hero out of the four of us," the girl responded. "Powerpuff Bell Z!"

"Powerpuff...?" Blossom asked.

"...Bell Z?" Bubbles finished.

"That's what I said." The girl Bell pointed at them. "I challenge you! All three of you against me!"

"What!?" the girls asked in unison. "Why?"

"Because you I want what you have!" Bell retorted. "The recognition, the fame, the power... I want it all, and the only I will is if I get rid of all three of you!" Her eyes began glowing an even brighter green. She lifted her fist in the air, and it started to glow white. She then slammed her fist straight into the ground, creating a massive shockwave, the ground caving in on itself from the intensity. The shockwave knocked the girls off their feet, while sending the entire Gangreen Gang flying off into the air.

"Geh! Even on the sidelinesss..." said Snake.

"We get caught in the crossfire!!" Little Arturo finished as they flew out of sight.

"She's really strong!" Bubbles said.

"She doesn't even need a weapon like us!" Blossom added.

"Then there's no reason we should hold back!" said Buttercup, pulling out her hammer. "Swing Sonic!" She swung, shooting out a green bolt at Bell. Bell dodged the projectile at inhuman speed and pulled back her arm.

"You won't beat me that way!" Bell said, grinning. She suddenly charged at Buttercup, sticking her arm out. "Power Lariat!" **_SMACK!_** Bell struck Buttercup with her arm, knocking her flat on her back.

"Buttercup!" Blossom cried. "Why you... Take this! Takoyaki Spin!" Blossom shot out her yo-yo, but just as it was about to hit Bell, she grabbed it. Bell twisted around and pulled on it, hoisting Blossom into the air, and slamming her back down to the ground.

"Blossom! Buttercup!" Bubbles rushed over to help them. "Please stop being so violent, Bell! There's no reason for us to fight!"

"Didn't I already tell you?" Bell said. "I'll only be satisfied when you're out of the picture!" Her eyes began glowing green again. In the distance, Zero watched the spectacle from atop one of the buildings.

"That's right, Bell..." Zero said. "Let your Envy fuel your power, and after you use it all to defeat Powerpuff Z, I'll move in... for the kill."

"If you won't stop fighting," Bubbles said to Bell, "then I have to choice but to stop you! Bubble Champagne!" She swung her wand and made a swarm of bubbles.

"Such a wimpy attack won't do anything!" Bell gloated. She swung her arms across her body, and a pair of white waves shot out. They passed through the bubbles and popped them all, like a set of blades.

"It's no good..." Bubbles said. Blossom and Buttercup were able to get back on their feet. "She's just too strong."

"But we have to do something!" said Buttercup. "She's seems pretty determined, and probably won't rest until we're gone!"

"Hmm..." Blossom took a long, hard look at Bell. "Hmm... Ah! I have a plan, you two!" Blossom quietly whispered something to Bubbles and Buttercup.

"Ignoring me and whispering like that..." Bell shook her fist. "You better take me seriously!!" She charged at the girls, fists ablaze with white energy, her eyes as green as ever.

"Now! Scatter!" Blossom said. The three flew off in different directions as Bell's attack struck the ground.

"Trying to run away!? You cowards!" Bell leapt upwards, taking flight like the girls, heading for Blossom.

"You said you want everything we have, right, Bell?" Blossom said. "The recognition?"

"That's right!" Bell answered, lashing out more energy waves at Blossom. Blossom gracefully weaved inbetween them, then flew past Bell. Just as Bell was about to pursue her, she was interrupted.

"You also said you wanted fame, right?" Bubbles asked Bell.

"Yes!!" Bell responded, charging at Bubbles, swinging her fists. Bubbles dodged left and right, then flew underneath Bell. "Why you..." Bell started panting heavily.

'It's working!' Blossom thought. 'Bell's so bent on beating us, she's starting to get reckless, and tiring herself out. Time for you to finish her off, Buttercup!'

"Oi, Bell!" Buttercup shouted at her. "You wanted our power, too, isn't that right?"

"Yes, yes, yes!! I want all of it!!" Bell screamed, charging at Buttercup, her fists burning white. Just as she was about to swing at Buttercup, though, the white glow faded from her arms. She made an almost pathetic swing at Buttercup, which she easily dodged. Bell stopped in place, panting heavily.

"I..." she huffed, "...can do...your job...better..." The green glow in her eyes faded away, she closed her eyes and started falling out of the sky. Just before Bell collided with the ground, the girls grabbed her, and gently placed her down on her back.

"I don't know if you can hear us, Bell," Blossom said, "but there's one thing we have that you'll never have, acting the way you do. And that's teamwork." Just then, Blossom saw a red dot off in the distance on top of one of the buildings. "Ahh! That's...! Look!" She pointed at the dot.

"Dammit!" Zero cursed. "She can see me all the way from there!?"

"Zero!" the other girls said.

"Time for me to leave." Zero turned around and began to run.

"He's getting away!" Buttercup said. "We gotta stop him!"

"But what about Bell?" Bubbles asked. "We need to get her to the lab to be cured."

"If we don't stop Zero now, he'll just make more monsters, and they might be even stronger!"

"...You're right. We need to end this now before it gets any worse."

"Then let's go!" Blossom said. The girls shot off into the air, heading towards Zero.

* * *

Up in the Tokyo City skyline, Zero leapt across the rooftops of the skyscrapers, trying to avoid his pursuers. Eventually, though, the girls were able to catch up with him.

"Tch!" Zero skidded to a stop, and turned to face them.

"Zero! You won't get away again!" the girls said.

"If I can't escape you..." Zero's arm turned into his sword. "Then I'll defeat you here!" He leapt at the girls, hacking and slashing. The girls avoided his attacks as he landed on the ground.

"Fighting the same way as last time?" Buttercup asked. "That's no way to win against us! You can't even fly!"

"That's what you think!" Zero retorted. Two white-hot jets shot out from underneath his cape-like hair, launching him into the sky. He took a quick swing at Buttercup, just grazing her hair as she moved out of the way.

"So you've learned a new trick! That's fine by me! Hurricane Lutz!" Buttercup spun into a miniature cyclone. Zero stuck out his sword and began to spin around, imitating her attack. The two cyclones clashed, grinding against eachother. Suddenly, one of the cyclones broke, and Buttercup was knocked back. "Hey, you cheat!" she yelled at him. "Don't copy my attacks!"

"Let me have a try!" Bubbles said, swinging her wand. "Sticky Bubble!"

"The same trick won't work twice on me!" Zero said. With one broad swing of his sword, a blue wave shot out, slicing through the bubble from a distance. "I've analyzed your combat data from today and your previous battles. I can counter any of your attacks easily!"

"Not all of our attacks!" Blossom said with confidence. "Bubbles, Buttercup, let's do it!" Blossom grabbed her hair ribbon and yanked it off. Surprisingly, it retained its shape and hardened like metal. "Ribbon Boomerang!"

"What!?" Zero was surprised. "Another attack!?" He held his blade in front of him and blocked the ribbon. Sparks flew as the boomerang grinded against Zero's sword. Bubbles and Buttercup approached from behind.

"Here, Buttercup!" Bubbles said. She swung her wand, and instead of bubbles, orbs of electricity shot out.

"Thanks, Bubbles!" Buttercup said as she flew towards the orbs. "This is the end for you, Zero!" She started swinging at the orbs, launching them towards Zero.

"What!?" Zero pushed away Blossom's ribbon and turned around, only to be struck by a volley of energy balls. The balls exploded, sending Zero flying. "Gyaaaah!!" he screamed as he crashed into the city below.

"We, we did it!" Blossom cheered as she retreived her ribbon. "We actually beat Zero!"

"It's not over just yet," said Bubbles. "We have to find him and take him to the lab."

"Then let's not waste any time!" Buttercup said as they dashed off into the direction Zero was knocked.

* * *

At that time, Bell was still unconscious from tiring herself out. Her body began to glow, and her clothes returned to normal. However, strapped around her waist was a white belt, with a black and gray compact fitted into a slot in the middle.

"Mmmnn..." Bell moaned as she awoke, rubbing her head. "What happened? Where am I?" She got up, and looked at the belt around her waist. "What's this belt? Unh... I can't remember what happened..." She shook her head as she wandered off.


	7. Chapter 6

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 6:** Encounter! Mysterious Stranger, Zack!

Powerpuff Z had defeated another monster created by Zero, a false Powerpuff Girl named Bell, whose power was fueled by her envy of Powerpuff Z. The girls had tracked down Zero before he could escape, and defeated him in battle. However, after searching the city for hours on end, there was no sign of Zero anywhere. Exhausted, the girls went back to take Bell to the lab to be cured, only to discover that she had disappeared as well.

* * *

Somewhere in the sewers beneath Tokyo City, a beaten, battered, and bruised Zero was staggering down the dark pathway.

"I got careless..." Zero said to himself. "To think I could be beaten by those charlatans. I was fighting for justice, and I still lost..." He stumbled, dropping to one knee. "If they find me now, I'll never make it back to the lab... only one choice. _Shutting down non-vital systems... initializing self-recovery mode._" Zero's body began to glow, and slowly morph.

* * *

The next day, after school had just let out, the girls were walking together, looking upset.

"It was a double disaster yesterday..." Momoko mumbled.

"We were able to beat Zero in a fight," Kaoru said, "but..."

"...We lost him, and Bell," Miyako finished. "Either of them could be anywhere."

"There's nothing we can do about it now..." Momoko said. The girls reached a busy intersection, where they were forced to wait for the signal to change. "Anyway... can you two go on to the lab without me?"

"Hm? Why, Momoko? What's up?" Kaoru asked.

"I was going to do a little shopping before going to the lab!" Momoko pulled out a large purse.

"'Little' seems to be a vast understatement," said Miyako.

"The candy store just received a shipment of foreign snacks, so I brought my savings with me to buy as many as I can!" The street signal changed. "I'll see you two later, then!" Miyako and Kaoru crossed the street, while Momoko skipped off on her own.

* * *

At that time, elsewhere in town, a young man emerged from an alleyway. He appeared to be in his mid-teens, with long, spiky blond hair and clear blue eyes, wearing a red jacket, gray shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes. He looked around, as if he were lost. He began to walk down the sidewalk, squeezing past the busy pedestrians. The young man accidentally bumped into one of the people.

"Hey, watch where you're stepping!" the citizen said.

"S, sorry," the young man apologized. He then started bumping into more people as he tried to squeeze through, apologizing to every single one.

* * *

Meanwhile, Momoko emerged from the candy store, carrying a large bag overstuffed with assorted snacks and candies.

"Mmm!! So many to choose from!" Momoko said delightfully as she passed an alleyway. "Which should I eat first?"

"Hey, little girl!" a voice called out to Momoko from the alley. "You dropped one of your snacks over here!"

"Ah!" The thought of abandoning one of her precious snacks was too much for Momoko. She ran back to the alley. "Thanks for telling me! Where---" Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out, grabbed Momoko, and pulled her into the alley. Across the street, the young man from earlier saw what just happened.

* * *

In the alley, Momoko was surrounded by three rough-looking thugs. She was trembling, and dropped her bag of snacks.

"Hey there, sweet-cheeks," one of the thugs chuckled.

"Lotta stuff you got there," said the second.

"You must have a lot of cash to afford all that," the third thug added. "That's a lot to carry for a little girl like yourself, so let us do you a favor and relieve you of your wallet and or purse..."

"N-no, stay back!" Momoko said.

"That wasn't a request," said the first thug, whipping out a knife. "That was a demand. Now, hand it over before I 'accidentally' scar that pretty face of yours!"

"A---ah---" Momoko tried to scream for help, but her fear took her voice away.

"Stop!" called out a voice. Momoko and the three thugs turned to see the young man who saw Momoko get attacked. "Let that girl go. Now," he said calmly.

"Heh. Heheheh," the first thug said. "Hehehahhahah! You hear that, boys? This prissy guy wants to be a hero!"

"Sorry, boy-o," said the second thug, "but the only heroes in this city are Powerpuff Z, and if my sight fails me, they ain't here."

"Yeah," said the third thug, approaching the young man. "And what's with that crazy-lookin' hair? You wanna be a girl or somethin'?" Just as he was about to grab the young man's shoulder, the young man grabbed the thug's wrist, gripping it tightly. "Ow, OW! Let go, man! You're breaking my wrist!" The young man kept squeezing, forcing the third thug to his knees, then threw his arm back.

"I won't say it again," the young man maintained his calm composure. "Leave that girl alone, and go crawl back into the hole you came out of."

"What did you say!?" the first thug said, charging at the young man with his knife. The young man began weaving, dodging left and right as the thug tried to stab him. There wasn't much room in the alleyway, though, and the thug was eventually able to make contact, cutting through the young man's jacket and shirt, grazing his skin. The thug took one more stab. "Die, you little---!" He was cut off when the young man jumped to the side, grabbed the thug by his arm, and flipped him over, slamming his face into the pavement. The second thug looked on as his accomplices were beaten by the young man.

"I gave you fair warning," the young man said, picking up the thug's knife. He looked at the second thug, and threw the knife at him. The knife landed at his feet, the blade sticking into the ground. The gesture was enough to make the last thug run off, screaming his head off. The young man then approached Blossom, stepping on top of the other thugs to reach her. "Are you okay?" he asked Momoko.

"Y, yes..." Momoko answered. She then noticed the young man's wound. "Ah! You're bleeding!" The young man looked at the wound, not noticing it before.

"It's nothing," he said. "I'll be fin---ow!" He quickly gripped his arm where the wound was.

"Hold on," Momoko pulled out a small pink handkerchief from her pocket. She moved the young man's arm away, and wrapped the handkerchief around the wound, making sure it was put on tight. "There, that should help a little."

"Th, thank you..." The young man picked up Momoko's bag and handed it to her. "I think this is yours."

"Ah, th, thank you..." Momoko took the bag in hand. "Well, then..." She paused for a moment. "I... guess I'll be going. Thank you for helping me, mister."

"Those thugs got what they deserved, trying to mug a little girl," the young man said. "No thanks are needed. Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"Um, yes, I think so..."

"Maybe I should come with you, just to make sure. I'm a little lost, anyway."

"Lost? Don't you live here in Tokyo City?"

"No, I don't. I'm... passing through. Maybe you could show me around while I escort you?"

"O, okay..." Momoko extended her hand to the man. "I'm Momoko. Momoko Akatsutsumi. What's your name?"

"My name...?" the young man said. "Ze---" He immediately stopped.

"Huh?" Momoko looked confused as the young man pondered to himself.

"...Zack," he finally answered. "Call me Zack." He extended his own hand, shaking Momoko's.

"Well then, nice to meet you, Zack! Now that we know eachother's names, let's go! I was headed for the National Science Lab."

"National Science Lab? Do you work there?"

"Umm, yeah, you could say that... Come on, I'll show you all the greatest places in Tokyo City on the way there!" The two then headed out of the alley.

* * *

"Here's Tokyo City's central park," Momoko said as she and Zack entered a large park. There was a large fountain, a miniature playground, and a path leading to the top of a large hill. Momoko pointed down one of the paths. "If you go that way, you'll find Kintokidou, the best sweets shop in town! Sakurako makes the best red bean jelly buns in the world there!"

"Is that so?" Zack said. "Maybe I'll have to try it one day. Which way is it to the Lab?"

"Right this way!" Momoko grabbed Zack by the hand, guiding him along. 'This is the greatest!' she thought to herself. 'Not only did he save my life, he's also kind of cute! Though... I bet he's already taken...'

'She's such a nice girl,' Zack thought. 'So pure and innocent... just like---' Suddenly, a vision of a young woman flashed in his mind for a split-second. He stopped and grabbed his head with one hand.

"Huh? Are you okay, Zack?"

"I, it's nothing. I just got a headache all of a sudden. It's fading now, I'll be fine."

"If you're sure..." The two continued on their way. Eventually, they reached a long, winding pathway going uphill that led to a large yellow building. "This is it! The National Science Laboratory! Thanks for walking with me here!"

"You're welcome, Ms. Momoko," Zack said.

"Just call me Momoko," she replied. "After all, we're friends, right?"

"Friends...?" Zack paused and stared at Momoko. "...Yeah, we're friends."

"You should come inside and meet the others! I'm sure they'd be happy to meet you!"

"Really...?" Suddenly, Zack felt a tingling sensation throughout his body. "...I'm sorry, but I can't. I just remembered, I have to be somewhere. I'm sure we can do this some other time."

"That's too bad. Will we be able to see eachother again? Maybe next time, I can give you a real tour of the city!"

"That would be nice. I'll be around here for a while, so I might relax in the park occasionally if you want to meet up with me."

"Really? That's great! Well then, until next time! Bye, Zack!" Momoko ran up the path to the lab, waving goodbye to her new friend.

"See you later, Momoko!" Zack waved back. He headed back for the park, and headed up to the top of the hill. He looked around, and saw that there was nobody else around. "Repairs are finished," he whispered to himself. His body began to glow white, and changed shape. His hair began to fan out at the tips, stiffening as if it was a solid sheet. The glow faded, and Zack was clad in red armor. Zack was actually Zero!

"I'll be able to make it back to the lab now," Zero said, activating his jet-pack and flying straight up into the sky. He stopped and looked down at Utonium's lab. "And maybe... I'll come back once in a while to see Momoko." He turned around, and flew off towards the horizon and the setting sun.

* * *

Inside Utonium's lab, Momoko finally joined up with the others.

"Momoko, it's about time you showed up!" Kaoru said.

"Where have you been?" Miyako asked. "We were starting to get worried."

"I'm sorry!" Momoko said as she put her bag of sweets on the table. "I was just saying bye to a friend."

"Friend? What friend?"

"Heehee, it's a secret! But don't worry, I'll introduce you to him someday!"

* * *

At the abandoned lab, Zero had finally returned, sitting down at his single chair.

"Momoko Akatsutsumi... such an innocent and carefree girl," he said to himself. Just then, he looked at his arm and saw Momoko's handkerchief still wrapped around it. He untied it, folded it up neatly, and fiddled with it in his hands. "...I'll have to return this to her next time. But for now..." Zero looked across the room at the four remaining canisters. "Sorry, Momoko, but I have a job to do... to make sure your city is safer for people like you..."


	8. Chapter 7

**PPGZ: Zero Project  
by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 7:** Sedusa's Revival? The Fourth Sin

In the abandoned lab, Zero was plotting and calculating his next target in his extremist one-man crusade against evil in Tokyo City. He was using one of the old computers to hack into an archive of surveillance videos. Most of the footage was of Powerpuff Z fighting various monsters.

"Hmm..." Zero let out a heavy sigh. "Who is a fitting target? Who...?" Then, one clip caught his attention. It was a recording of a young woman with braided blonde hair and glasses, wearing a blue bandanna and apron, wheeling in a giant confectionary into a room. Suddenly, a little girl with curly red hair and golden eyes jumped into the picture, and started eating the treat. The woman seemed distressed, until the girl noticed a small box on the cart. She opened the box and pulled out some lipstick, and started swiping it on the woman's face, laughing as she did it. Suddenly, the woman's body started glowing, and she morphed into a feminine monster with a very provocative figure.

"This is...!" Zero's eyes widened. "Yes... this is the one... she shall be... my Lust."

* * *

At Utonium's laboratory, the Professor had called Ken and Peach into the examination room. Lying on the examination table was the empty canister the girls had retrieved.

"What is it, Papa?" Ken asked his father.

"I've finally made a breakthrough with this canister!" Utonium said triumphantly. He walked over to one of the computers and typed something on the keyboard. A nearby monitor displayed a simulated image of the canister on the table. "After running a spectrometry on the canister, I've discovered trace amounts of a gaseous substance." The image on the monitor was magnified greatly, showing microscopic black atoms floating around. "After running a thorough analysis of this gas, I've made a disturbing discovery. This 'black gas' has traits nearly identical to the black light and Him's black particles."

"Black gas?" Ken asked. "Does Zero even know what it is?"

"I can't be certain, but from what he had said that one day..."

* * *

**(AN: From Chapter 3)**  
'I didn't 'make' a monster, I merely drew one out of hiding. That monster is a reflection of that man's innermost evil. As for my intents, I'm trying to make a statement to this city.'

* * *

"...I don't think he understands the true nature of the black gas. He thinks it turns only evil people into monsters, but if it's anything like the black light or particles, it will turn anyone or anything it infects into monsters."

"And I don't think he would be convinced of that so easily, either," said Ken. "Oh, Papa! I almost forgot! I was doing some research of my own on Zero, and I think I've noticed a pattern in his targets."

"A pattern?"

"Ken thinks Zero is targeting specific people da-wan," Peach said. "All three of Zero's victims all show a trait of one of the Seven Sins."

"Seven Sins? You mean...!"

"That's my theory, anyway," Ken said. "Many people believe that all the evils in the world can be traced back to seven original sins: Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Rage, and Pride. Think about the monsters Powerpuff Z have fought so far."

"The one that robbed the bank... Greed!" The pieces started falling into place in Utonium's mind.

"Right. The one that was putting everyone in town to sleep, Sloth. And that girl Bell, who had the same powers as the girls... The girls said that she wanted what they had, so she must have been Envy."

"It's starting to make sense now... his statement to the city... he wants to show the presence of all Seven Sins in their greatest extremes, and use that as justification to execute anyone he deems as evil."

"There's been three so far da-wan," said Peach. "If Ken is right, there will be at least four more..."

"Rage, Gluttony, Pride, and Lust. But who? Who in Tokyo City exhibits those kinds of traits?"  


* * *

Meanwhile, at the confectionary shop Kintokidou, the girls were enjoying a delicious afternoon snack.

"Mmm, sooo delicious!" said Momoko, tingling all over. "Sakurako's red bean sweet buns are the greatest! Nothing can beat them!"

"No need to flatter me so much," Sakurako said, blushing. "I'm just doing what I do best."

"By the way, Sakurako," Kaoru asked, "when's the last time you've seen Souichirou?"

"Funny you mention that, Kaoru. Souichirou said that he was coming from his college to visit today. He said he has some specially bred red beans he wants me to try in my next batch of buns."

"Souichirou's really dedicated to helping you," said Miyako. "He's studying botany just to make better red beans for your store. You're very lucky to have someone like him."

"I know! Souichirou's the greatest! I couldn't ask for anyone or anything better!"

"Excuse me!" came a voice from outside. The door slid open, and in came Souichirou, carrying a small bag in one hand, a black box in the other. "Sakurako! I'm here!"

"Ah, Souichirou!" Sakurako's face turned a bright red, her usual reaction whenever she's around him.

"I brought the beans just like I said I would!" Souichirou put the bag on the counter between him and Sakurako, and opened it up. "I grew this batch myself, and I hope they turn out to have more flavor than regular red beans."

"Thank you so much, Souichirou! But, what's that box you have? Is it a present?"

"I don't know. When I got here, it was just sitting out in front of your door. It has a tag, and it's addressed to you." Souichirou placed the box on the floor and pulled off the tag.

"Who's it from?"

"It doesn't say. All it says is, 'To Sakurako. Please open in private.'"

"Heeeh..." A sly look crossed Momoko's face. "Sounds like Sakurako has a secret admirer somewhere..."

"What kind of guy leaves a present, and says to open it in private?" Kaoru asked.

"Maybe he would feel embarrassed if anyone else saw what he got for her," said Miyako.

"I'm sure whoever left this for me meant well," said Sakurako, "but I already have Souichirou... but then, I would feel bad to turn it down..."

"It's okay, Sakurako!" Souichirou said. "I'm sure whoever sent you this present put up a lot of courage to try and give it to you. It's okay with me if you want to keep it."

"You're so understanding, Souichirou. That's one of the things I love about you!" The girls had just finished eating their food, and left some money on the table.

"Thanks for the food!" the girls said. "See you later!" They then headed out the door.

"Come again anytime!" Sakurako called out to them.

"Well then, Sakurako..." Souichirou's face started turning red. "N, now that we're alone... maybe we could..."

"Yes...?"

"We could... maybe... go out to dinner? Or... a movie?"

"Oh, Souichirou... I wish I could, but I can't, today. The kitchen's starting to get a little messy, so I have to stay and clean up. I'm so sorry..."

"Oh, it's okay... then, maybe tomorrow? Or I could stay and help you."

"I don't want to be a burden on you. You should probably go and get some rest for today."

"O, okay... then, see you later, Sakurako." Souichirou headed out the door, glancing back at Sakurako as he walked away.

* * *

That evening, Sakurako had just closed up shop, and was wiping the counter with a wet rag. She was humming a little tune to herself, when her hand slipped off the counter, causing her to drop the rag. She bent over to pick it up, and noticed the black package sitting in front of her.

"The present..." she said to herself, recalling what the tag said. "Please open in private..." She stared at the box for a moment, then put the rag back on the counter. "Well, I'm alone now, so... it should be okay to open it, right?" She opened the lid of the box, and inside was a small letter, with something else hidden underneath it. Sakurako took the letter, opened it, and started reading.

_To Sakurako,  
You think you can hide your secret from the world, but you can't. Nothing escapes my vigilant eye. From the depths of your soul, I will draw out that dark secret of yours for the whole world to see, Sakurako... or should I say, Sedusa?  
~Z_

"What kind of letter is this?" Sakurako began to feel very uncomfortable. "Who is Sedusa, and who is 'Z'?" Suddenly, the sides of the package unfolded on their own, falling to pieces. Inside the rest of the box was one of Zero's canisters of black gas, and on the lid was a timer:

_03  
02  
01  
00_

The canister's lid popped open on its own, releasing the black gas into the entire shop. Sakurako shrieked as it enveloped her.

* * *

_'I'm tired of being like this... being forced to live someone else's life... I am my own person, I have my own identity... so why can't a have my own body? I.. want... __OUT!'_

* * *

The next day, at Kintokidou...

"Wh, what's happened here!?" the girls gasped. The entire store was barricaded and blocked off by police tape and officers. There were several people in HazMat suits scanning the area with various devices.

"You three stay back!" one of the officers said to the girls. "This area is off-limits until the investigation is over."

"Investigation?" Momoko asked. "What investigation?"

"Last night, someone called the fire department, reporting black smoke coming from Kintokidou. When the firefighters arrived, where was no sign of any fire. When they entered the building, they found the owner lying unconscious, and brought her outside."

"Sakurako! Is she all right?"

"We've already questioned her about the incident. She appeared unharmed, and said she felt fine. She said that she remembers opening a package she received that day, but doesn't remember anything else."

"Package?" Kaoru asked, turning to the others. "You don't think...!"

"Someone was trying to hurt Sakurako?" Miyako said. "Who would do such a terrible thing?" Just then, the girls' compacts started beeping. They left the scene and opened the compacts in private.

"What is it, Professor?" the girls asked.

"We need you three to come to the lab right now," said Utonium. "We have some important information concerning Zero to tell you."

"We're on our way!" As they left the shop, from a distance, Zero was looking at the building.

"..." Zero seemed disturbed. "What could have happened? The canister went off, and they say she's still the same... Did something go wrong?"

* * *

Later, at the lab, Utonium and Ken relayed their research and theories about Zero and the black gas to the girls.

"Black gas, and Seven Sins...?" Momoko and Kaoru tilted their heads, barely understanding what Ken and the Professor had just explained.

"Black gas?" Miyako asked. "...black smoke..." She remembered what the officer at Kintokidou said. "Ah! Black smoke!"

"Hmm?" Utonium looked at Miyako. "What's wrong?"

"There were people investigating Kintokidou today. They said there was black smoke coming from the building, but it wasn't on fire. Could that have been the black gas?"

"Now that you mention it..." Momoko said. "That would mean... Ahh!"

"Zero was the one who sent that package to Sakurako!" Kaoru said. "He was trying to turn her into a monster!"

"But, Sakurako already was affected by the black light, and turns into the monster Sedusa."

"But the police said that Sakurako was fine. Things aren't adding up..." Just then, the mayor called in on the emergency monitor.

"We have a problem!" the mayor said. "Someone's broken into the jewelery store! Security couldn't stop them, it might be a monster! We need Powerpuff Z!"

* * *

It was dark inside the jewelery store. The thief had turned out the lights to conceal their identity.

"These are perfect..." a female voice said as a shadowy figure broke open the display cases, snatching all the glittering jewelery. "Only the best will satisfy me!"

"Hold it!" called out three voices.

"Hmph, they're finally here..." Powerpuff Z arrived at the scene.

"Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"Let's see who our wannabe burglar is!" Blossom said, flipping the light switch on. The room was illuminated, and the girls all gasped at what they saw.

"No way..." Buttercup said.

"It can't be..." Bubbles added. The thief, standing in full view, was none other than Sedusa.

"Oh, but it is..." she said provacatively. "Surprised to see me again?"

"Sedusa!?" Blossom said. "But, that's impossible! You're supposed to be Sakurako!"

"Sakurako, Sakurako, _Sakurako_!" Sedusa screamed. "I'm sick and tired of hearing that name! It's all that idiot Souichirou's fault!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Because of Souichirou, Sakurako became more trusting of him, knowing that he would never cheat on her. And because of that, Sakurako became less tempted to draw me out. I thought I was going to fade away into the depths of her mind forever, never to be let free again! And then, it happened..."

* * *

"What kind of letter is this?" Sakurako began to feel very uncomfortable. "Who is Sedusa, and who is 'Z'?" Suddenly, the sides of the package unfolded on their own, falling to pieces. Inside the rest of the box was one of Zero's canisters of black gas, and on the lid was a timer:

_**03  
02  
01  
00**_

The canister's lid popped open on its own, releasing the black gas into the entire shop. Sakurako shrieked as it enveloped her.

_'I'm tired of being like this...'_ Sedusa's voice echoed in Sakurako's head. _'Being forced to live someone else's life... I am my own person, I have my own identity... so why can't I have my own body? I.. want... OUT!!'_ Sakurako's body began to glow with a black aura, and it was slowly pulled out of her body. The black light merged with the swirling black gas, and solidified, turning into Sedusa.

"Th, this is...!" Sedusa examined herself, then looked at Sakurako, who was on the floor, unconscious. "I'm free... free! Ahahahahahah!!"

* * *

"I'll have to thank whoever left that package for Sakurako," Sedusa said. "Because of them, I'm now free of that prison of a girl! Free to do anything and everything I want!"

"So, Zero targeted Sakurako to create a monster to represent Lust..." Blossom said.

"But it looks like he didn't know something like this would happen," Bubbles added.

"Regardless..." Buttercup pulled out her hammer. "Just because you're free from Sakurako, doesn't mean we'll let you do whatever you want, Sedusa!" She lunged at Sedusa. "Megaton Dunk!" She swung the hammer down, but Sedusa swiftly leapt away.

"Hmph! I won't lose this time!" Sedusa said. Her wild-looking hair began to writhe and wriggle, as if it were alive. One of the locks of hair lashed out like a whip, striking Buttercup. She was knocked back, but Blossom and Bubbles caught her before she hit the ground.

"Buttercup, are you okay?" Bubbles asked.

"I'm fine," Buttercup answered, "but she's a lot stronger than the last time we fought her."

"She must have powered up from absorbing the black gas," said Blossom. "But since she's not part of Sakurako anymore, that means we don't have to hold back! Let's go!"

"Hold it!" someone called out. Suddenly, Zero rushed past the girls and stopped between them and Sedusa. "I'll take care of this."

"Zero! Why are you helping us!?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Zero replied. "I'm not doing this for you. This monster's existence was a mistake on my part. It was not my intention for this to happen, nor was it expected. So I'll rectify this mistake myself!"

"So you're the reason I'm free?" Sedusa asked Zero. "Hmm... you're actually kind of cute... maybe we can forget this fighting business and go on a date together?"

"Your feminine wiles won't phase me!" Zero said, charging at Sedusa and drawing his sword. "Prepare for destruction, monster!" He tried swinging his sword at her, but was stopped by Sedusa's living hair.

"Hooou... you look even cuter when you're angry," Sedusa teased. She began wrapping more of her hair around Zero's body, pulling at his arms and legs, and tightening around his neck and waist.

"Grrr..." Zero struggled to break free, but Sedusa was too strong even for him. 'Torturing me like this, and taking pleasure in it...' he thought to himself. 'She really is the embodiment of Lust. At this rate...!'

"So, how do you want it?" Sedusa asked Zero. "Fast and painless, or slow and excrutiating?"

"Let him go, Sedusa!" Blossom shouted at her.

"You want him so badly? Then, catch!" Sedusa released Zero, hurling him at the girls, and they crashed into eachother. As they struggled to get back up, Sedusa leapt on Zero's back and made a dash for the exit. "Let's play again some other time, Powerpuff Z!" She playfully blew a kiss at Zero. "And thank you for setting me free, little man." She laughed as she ran off.

"Grr..." Zero growled as he got back to his feet. "I got careless... that succubus won't escape me forever!"

"Zero, you have to listen to us!" Bubbles said. "The black gas isn't what you think it is!"

"Hmph, so you know about the gas now, do you?"

"That gas turns anyone into a monster, whether they're evil or not!" Buttercup tried to explain.

"Lies!" Zero snapped back. "There's no reason for me to believe a single word any of you say! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a monster to hunt!" Before the girls could say or do anything, he rushed out of the store, chasing after Sedusa.

"They both got away..." Bubbles said.

"But at least Sedusa didn't get away with the goods," Blossom said, pointing to the discarded jewelery on the floor. "Let's clean this place up, and head back to the lab to tell the Professor what happened."

* * *

Later, at the abandoned lab, an exhausted Zero stumbled into the room.

"Tch, that monster got away from me..." he grunted to himself. "And to toy with me like that... unforgivable!" He pounded his fist on one of the machines, bending it in two. He looked at the remaining three canisters, recalling what Powerpuff Z tried to tell him. "Impossible... there's nothing wrong with the canisters. This time was only a fluke. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again!"

* * *

At that time, somewhere in Tokyo City, Sedusa stood atop one of the skyscrapers, looking down on the night lights below.

"Goodbye, Sakurako," she said to herself. "Goodbye, Souichirou... and hello, new life! Hmhmhmhmhm... Ohohohohohoho!" Her laughter echoed across the city.


	9. Chapter 8

**PPGZ: Zero Project  
by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 8:** Momoko's First Date!? Very Suspicious!

Zero sat in his chair, in the abandoned laboratory where he had been put to sleep for 20 years, pondering his next move. He looked at the last three canisters of black gas.

"Greed, Sloth, Envy, Lust..." Zero said to himself. "It won't be long until my message is made loud and clear to the people of Tokyo City. Gluttony, Rage, and... Pride." Out of the corner of his eye, Zero saw a small pink handkerchief, the one he had received from Momoko during his time disguised as Zack. "...it can wait for now, though. I wonder how she has been doing..."

* * *

The next day, the girls were passing through the park, on their way to the lab. Momoko seemed to be talking about something that had happened earlier that day.

"And then, and then---" Momoko was about to continue her story, but suddenly stopped where she was standing.

"Mm? Momoko?" Miyako looked at her. "Weren't you going to finish?" Momoko didn't respond. She seemed to be staring off into the space in front of her.

"Hellooo?" Kaoru waved her hand in front of Momoko's face. "Earth to Momoko, come in! It's like she's in a trance..." Kaoru and Miyako tried to see what Momoko was looking at. Near the fountain at the center of the park, sitting at a bench, was Zack, staring up at the sky.

"Is Momoko looking at that person over there?" Miyako asked. Just as she asked, Momoko ran straight for Zack, completely ignoring her friends.

"Zack!" Momoko called out to him. "Zack! Over here!" Zack stopped staring at the sky and saw Momoko coming.

"Ah, Momoko!" Zack called back, getting up from the bench.

"Could that be the new friend Momoko told us about the other day?" Miyako asked.

"It might be," said Kaoru.

"Zack, come over here!" Momoko said, pulling Zack by the hand over to the others. "Zack, these are my friends, Miyako and Kaoru. Miyako, Kaoru, this is Zack, the friend I was telling you about!"

"Nice to meet you," Miyako said, bowing politely.

"Yo," Kaoru said casually.

"Nice to meet you two," Zack said, smiling.

"If you don't mind me asking... how exactly did you two meet?"

"Oh, I never told you, did I?" Momoko said. "That day, after I left the sweet shop, Zack saved me from being mugged."

"What!? You almost got mugged!?"

"You should have told us something like that sooner!" Miyako said.

"Ah, sorry, sorry! But it was okay, since Zack was there to help me! He got hurt helping me, though, and he told me he was lost, so I helped him in return."

"It's true," Zack said. "I was glad to help her, and I'm grateful for her helping me. By the way, Momoko... are you busy today?"

"Not really. Why?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day together with me. If I remember correctly, last time, you said you'd give me a real tour of Tokyo City."

"T, together? You mean like a... d, d, d..." Momoko stuttered.

"Well, it's okay if you don't want---"

"Of course I do!" Momoko turned to Miyako and Kaoru. "Can you two go to the lab without me today?"

"Uh, sure..." Kaoru said.

"Now, Zack..." Momoko wrapped her arms around his arm. "Let's go, shall we?" She pulled him along, Zack stumbling a little to keep pace with her.

"What are we supposed to tell the Professor?" Miyako asked Kaoru. "He was expecting all of us to show up today."

"I don't know," Kaoru said. "Remember how he gets about stuff like this. If he found out Momoko's going on a..."

* * *

"_DAAAATE_!?" the Professor shouted. "This is unacceptable! Powerpuff Z doesn't go on dates! What if an emergency comes up? What if, what if it goes..." Utonium started trembling. "..._TO THE NEXT LEVEL_!!??" He started having a nervous breakdown, pulling at his hair.

"Professor!" Ken, Peach, Miyako, and Kaoru struggled to hold him in place and calm him. "Pull yourself together!"

"B-b-b-but... as Powerpuff Z's father-figure, I can't allow something like this to happen!"

"You're just overreacting," Kaoru said. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"S, still...!" Utonium pointed at Miyako and Kaoru. "I want you to keep an eye on them!"

"What!? Why us!?"

"Th, this Zack person... h-he sounds very suspicious! He might try to do something to Momoko!"

"Something... like what?" Miyako asked him.

"Nnnngh... T-that's not important! Just go!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Momoko and Zack were at Kintokidou, which had finally reopened after the black gas incident. Sakurako served them an extra-large bowl of cream anmitsu.

"Thank you, Sakurako!" Momoko said.

"No need to thank me," Sakurako said. "After all, you are my best customer, Momoko." She took a quick look at Zack. "Who's your new friend? I usually only see you with Miyako and Kaoru."

"This is Zack! I'm showing him around the city, and what better place to start than right here at my favorite shop!"

"Nice to meet you, Zack," Sakurako said to him. 'Zack... Z?' Sakurako thought back to the letter that came with the black canister she was sent. 'It couldn't be... it's just coincidence.'

"...Yeah, nice to meet you, too," Zack said hesitantly. 'This feels very awkward,' he thought to himself. 'She was one of the people I had targeted. If she were to know who I really was...'

"Aren't you going to try some, Zack?" Momoko asked him. "If you don't eat it soon, I'll eat your half!" She grabbed her spoon and started eating hastily.

"Hey, don't eat it all!" Zack said, picking up his spoon. He took a small spoonful of the frozen treat, and popped it in his mouth. Zack had never tasted anything like it before. He squeezed his eyes, and puckered his lips a little.

"What's wrong, Zack?" Momoko asked, looking at the strange look on his face. "Isn't it good?"

"I, it's... delicious! I've never had anything like this before in my life!" Zack started to eat faster.

"Looks like you have some competition, Momoko," Sakurako joked. "I've never seen anyone eat as fast as you before now."

"Oh, yeah? We'll see who eats faster!" Momoko then began an eating race with Zack, trying to see who could eat more. As they chowed down, Miyako and Kaoru were peeping around the door, spying on them.

"They seem to be having fun," Miyako whispered.

"Yeah, but something doesn't quite seem right," Kaoru whispered back. "Since when has any guy been interested in Momoko? And even she's acting a little different than usual..."

"Maybe it's not just a crush, like all the other times. Maybe she really does like Zack, and Zack likes her..."

"Maybe..."

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Souichirou approached the two from behind.

"Ah! Nothing!" they said as they scurried off.

"Hm?" Zack stopped. "Did you hear something just now?"

"I didn't hear anything," Momoko said. Suddenly, both she and Zack felt a sharp pain shooting through their heads. "Owowow! I got brain-freeze!"

"Ack, me too!" Zack said as they cringed, clutching their heads. They stopped and looked at eachother, and started laughing. "It seems like we have a lot in common."

"Y, you think so...?" Momoko quickly turned away as her face started to turn red. 'I haven't felt this way since Sakamoto confessed to me, but Zack hasn't said anything like that yet. Wait a minute...' She turned back around to face Zack. "Zack, do you have a girlfriend!?"

"Girl...friend?" Zack looked a little confused. "Mmm..." He pondered about it for a moment.

"You have to think about an answer?" Momoko asked him.

"Mmm...I... don't know what you mean by girlfriend," Zack said, "but if you mean a girl for a friend, then you're the only one I have."

"R-really!?" Momoko was surprised.

"So, now that we've finished eating, where are we going to go next?"

"I know a great place we can go to!" Momoko left some money on the table and pulled Zack with her out the door. "Thanks for the food, Sakurako!" she said as she dashed out.

* * *

Later that day, just as the sun was starting to set, Momoko had brought Zack to the top of the Tokyo City observatory tower. Despite the height, the wind was relatively gentle, and the view of the city below was breathtaking.

"I've never seen the city from this high before," Zack said, leaning on the balcony guardrail.

"Well, this is the tallest building in Tokyo City," Momoko said. "So, Zack... you're not from Tokyo City, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Where do you come from, anyway?"

"..." Zack was silent. "...I don't remember."

"You don't remember? Do you have amnesia?"

"I don't know... Everytime I try to remember, it's always a blank to me... except---" Suddenly, Zack had another vision in his mind.

* * *

"_This isn't right_!" a woman's voice echoed in Zack's head. "We had no right to do this to him!"

"_We're so close to completing the project, and you choose NOW of all times to grow a conscience?" _an angry man's voice snapped back._ "I know what you've been doing down here! Did you think I wouldn't notice_?"

* * *

Zack stepped back, clutching his head.

"Zack!" Momoko rushed over to him, making sure he didn't fall over. "Are you okay?"

"I, I'm fine..." Zack said, shaking his head. "It's just a headache... it happens when I try too hard to remember..." He regained his bearings and stood up straight again. "Before I forget..." Zack pulled out Momoko's handkerchief from his pocket. "Here." He tried handing it to Momoko.

"Huh? This is..."

"I thought you might want it back, so I..."

"It's okay. You can keep it." Momoko placed her hands on Zack's, and gently pushed the handkerchief back to him.

"Heh... thank you, Momoko," Zack said, smiling. He looked back over the balcony as the city's night lights started turning on. "I'm all alone here in this city..."

"Alone? Don't you have any family?"

"No... none that I remember."

"What about friends?"

"No... nobody. You're the only one I have." Zack looked at Momoko. "You're an important person to me, Momoko."

"I, important person...?" Momoko started blushing.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked. "You're face is turning red. Are you feeling sick?"

"I-it's nothing... What do you mean, exactly, by 'important'?"

"I would hate to see anything bad happen to someone as innocent as you. I want to do whatever I can to help people like you. Because..."

"Because...?"

"...I can barely remember, but I think I had a person who was important to me. But I couldn't do anything to help them, and something terrible happened to them."

"Zack..."

"I want to make a promise to you, Momoko. I promise to make sure nothing bad ever happens to you. I want to be able to protect you, the way I couldn't protect that other person..."

"Protect me?"

"Yes. I promise, as long as I live, I'll protect those that are important to me, no matter the cost!" Zack clenched his fists. "...I'm sorry. Today was supposed to be a happy time for us, and here I am, acting depressed..."

"Zack..." Momoko held his hand, and he loosened his fist. "It's okay to be sad. If you talk about it to someone you trust, it makes you feel better. And you have me to talk to."

"...Thank you, Momoko." Zack then chuckled to himself. "It's strange... I'm usually very uptight all the time, but for some reason, I feel different around you."

"Different?"

"Yeah. I feel... what's the word... rejuvenated, no... reborn. I feel like a new person when I'm around you. I feel at ease. You know what I mean?" As their conversation continued, high above them, Bubbles and Buttercup quietly looked on.

"Can we go home, already?" Buttercup asked, yawning. "We've been watching them the whole time, and nothing strange happened the whole time."

"..." Bubbles was quiet, looking at Momoko. "Momoko acts very differently around Zack, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess she does... she's usually overly active, but looking at her right now, she seems a little... mature."

"I know how she probably feels right now..." Bubbles closed her eyes. "Because I feel almost the same way around Taka-chan..."

"Anyway, I think we've spied on them long enough. We should go back and tell the Professor that nothing suspicious is going on between them." Bubbles and Buttercup flew off towards the lab, leaving Momoko and Zack to themselves.

"It's starting to get late," Zack said. "Would you like me to walk you home, Momoko?"

"Yes, that would be nice..." Momoko replied. Zack placed one hand on her back, the other on her shoulder, as they headed for the elevator.

* * *

A few moments later, the two arrived at Momoko's house.

"This is my home," Momoko said. "Thank you for walking me here, Zack."

"It was nothing," Zack said. "You should probably go inside now, before your family starts to worry about where you've been."

"Yeah..." Momoko started heading for the front door, then stopped and turned to Zack. "Good night, Zack. And remember, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here to listen."

"Good night, Momoko, and thank you," Zack smiled. He stood near the gate and watched Momoko until she went inside her house. He then turned around and began to walk off.

* * *

Later, at the abandoned lab, Zack, who had transformed back into Zero, slowly walked across the room, and sat down at his lonely chair. He looked at the machinery that surrounded him, then looked at a broken glass capsule that was sitting right next to the chair. He stared at it for a very long time.

"...Sophia..." Zero muttered a name to himself. 'I promise, Momoko,' he thought, 'I will protect you... I won't let you become like Sophia...' He then looked at the black canisters across the room. 'No matter the cost...'


	10. Chapter 9

**PPGZ: Zero Project  
by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 9:** Past Visions! Shiroganes in Danger!

"_Professor Dick_?" a female voice sounded surprised. "_This visit was unexpected. What are you doing here_?"

"_Change in plans, Sophia_," a man's voice responded. "_Shirogane is putting the pressure on us. They want to see results very soon, or else they'll cut our funding. Get the specimen ready for the final phase_."

"_But he isn't ready! If we do it now, he'll..._!"

"_The specimen isn't a 'he'! 'It' is the fruit of all our labor_!"

"_We should have never started this project! This isn't right! We had no right to do this to him_!"

"_We're so close to completing the project, and you choose now of all times to grow a conscience? I know what you've been doing down here! Did you think I wouldn't notice? Remove her, immediately, and prepare the specimen for transportation_."

"_No! You can't_!"

* * *

Zero suddenly awoke, beads of cold sweat running down his face. He shook his head, and clutched it with his hands.

"That dream..." he said to himself. "No... not a dream... it was a memory." Zero closed his eyes, completely silent. "Shirogane... Shirogane has something to do with what happened that day... I must find out more."

* * *

"Graaaah!" roared a giant orange robotic monster with an oversized head and torso. "I want more, more, more!" It bellowed as it broke open a grocery store window. "Eat, consume, devour!" it said as the faceplate on its head opened up, turning into a vacuum. It began to suck up all the food in the store, and was even pulling in the store owner.

"Ahhh!!" the owner screamed. "Please don't eat me! Somebody, anybody, help!!!"

"Stop right there!" shouted three voices at the orange robot. It turned around to see Powerpuff Z standing behind it. "Fighting Love Science Legend! Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"Powerpuff Z!" the store owner cheered. "Thank goodness you're here!"

"Graaaah!" the robot roared at the girls. "You interrupted my meal! Now I'll eat you!" The robot's faceplate opened up again, and tried to pull the girls into the gaping maw.

"This is the fifth monster Zero's made so far!" Buttercup said. "If this one wants to eat so badly, this one must be Gluttony!"

"Whatever it is," said Blossom, "it needs to be stopped!" The girls tried to fly away from the robot, but the suction from its mouth kept them virtually immobilized.

"I want to eat NOW!" the robot yelled, and the vacuum's power intensified. The girls were slowly being pulled towards it.

"It's no use!" Bubbles shouted to the others. "At this rate, we'll be eaten!" Suddenly, the girls saw a large object heading towards them. The power of the robot's vacuum was so strong, it had uplifted a car. The girls swerved out of its way as the car slammed right into the robot's face. The car was too big for the robot's mouth, and plugged up the vacuum it was generating.

"Now's our chance!" Blossom said, whipping out her yo-yo. "Shooting Yo-yo!"

"Bubble Champagne!"

"Swing Sonic!" The girls' combined attacks struck the gluttonous monster directly, knocking it flat on its back, the car still stuck in its gaping mouth.

"That takes care of that monster," Blossom said. "If Ken's 'Seven Sins' theory is correct, then there should only be two more monsters that Zero plans to make." Just then, the girls' compacts started beeping. Blossom pulled out her compact and flipped it open. "What is it, Professor?"

"I have some bad news," Utonium said. "I just received word that Zero is attacking an office complex downtown!"

"Zero? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"That's stange..." Bubbles commented. "It doesn't sound like the Zero we know. What could he be doing in an office building?"

* * *

"Hey, you can't come in here! This is restricted---" A security officer was cut off as Zero grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. He approached one of the office workers and stared him stright in the eye.

"This building holds all the accounting records of the Shirogane Group, does it not?" Zero asked the man.

"Y, yes, b-but it's off limits..."

"Show it to me. Now." Zero turned the man around, grabbed the back of his suit, and forcibly guided him to a computer. He then sat the man down in front of it. "I want to see all of the Shirogane Group's investments from 20 years ago."

"O, okay, but if I do this, I could lose my job..."

"You'll lose far more than that if you don't do as I say!" Zero snapped back. The man immediately started tapping away at the keyboard, bringing up various records of how the Shirogane Group had been spending its vast fortune in the past 20 years. Most of the entries were noted as donations to various foundations or investments in different companies. Then, as the entries went further back, there was a single entry that caught Zero's attention:

_**Date: XX/XX/XX  
Recipient: Classified  
Amount: Indefinite**_

"There," Zero pointed at the entry. "I want more info on this entry. How much money was used in this entry, and where did it go?"

"Let me see..." the man tried to input something into the keyboard, but an error screen popped up on the monitor. "I, it doesn't say. This is the only info."

"Don't fool around with me!" Zero yelled at the man. "You better not be lying!"

"I'm telling you the truth! There's nothing else on this entry! The only person who would know anything about it would be Mr. Shirogane himself! I swear!"

"Grr..." Zero calmed himself a little. "Hmph... it seems that if I want the truth, I'll have to go straight to the source." Zero walked away, leaving the businessman trembling in his chair.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Utonium's lab, the girls and the Professor used the chemical solution beam on the orange robot monster, turning it back into a normal human being.

"Gluttony, was it?" the Professor asked. "That leaves only two Sins... Rage, and Pride."

"About Zero..." Buttercup changed the subject. "Do we know why he attacked the office building?"

"We're trying to get information as we speak. One of the office workers said that Zero forced him to look up accounting records for some reason."

"What is he trying to do this time?" Blossom asked.

"I'm not sure, but there is something significant about the office he attacked."

"Hm?"

"The business there is backed by the Shirogane Group."

"Shirogane Group?" Bubbles asked. "As in 'Himeko Shirogane' from our school?"

"The same. The Shirogane Group is one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. They've invested money in countless companies, businesses, and charities. There's also rumors that the Shirogane Group invests in some shady, under-the-counter bargains, but anyone who tries to spread those kinds of rumors are usually quieted by the Shirogane Group, either through bribery or intimidation."

"Do you think that the Shirogane Group might have had something to do with the Zero Project?"

"Perhaps," the Professor said. "And maybe Zero believes that, too. If they did have something to do with it, then there's only one reason Zero would bother with them..."

"Revenge," said Buttercup. Suddenly, the mayor appeared on the emergency monitor.

"We have a very serious situation right now!" the mayor shouted, practically trembling.

"What is it, mayor?" Utonium asked.

"I, it, it's... Miss Bellum, tell them for me!"

"It seems that Zero has been spotted at Shirogane Manor," Miss Bellum explained. "Security at the manor is currently engaged with Zero, but they aren't able to hold him back. It won't be long until he reaches the interior."

"It looks like Zero is going straight for the head of the Shirogane Group, the Shirogane family itself," said Utonium. "If something were to happen to them, the Shirogane Group could fall apart at the seams. It would be a global economic disaster!"

"Then let's not waste any time!" Blossom said.

* * *

The front yard of the Shirogane family's mansion looked like a battlefield. Barricades were set up everywhere, lined with razor wire. Squads of security officers were lined up behind the barricades, firing pistols and rifles at the approaching Zero, but the bullets easily bounced off his armored body.

"You cannot hold me at bay forever, Shirogane!" Zero yelled out. "I am coming, and with me, I bring retribution for your sins!"

"There's no stopping that monster!" one of the guards said. "Bring out the heavy artillery!" One of the guards pulled out a bazooka and pointed it straight at Zero. "Fire!" The bazooka launched a large missile straight at Zero, detonating in a fiery explosion on impact.

* * *

Inside the mansion, Mr. and Mrs. Shirogane, along with Himeko, were being escorted by a cadre of security guards.

"Papa," Himeko asked, "are we going to be okay?"

"O-of course we are, Himeko dear," Mr. Shirogane said, slightly trembling. "We have the strongest security force in TOkyo City, no, in all of Japan! There's no way any monster can get in here!"

I do hope you're right, dear," said Mrs. Shirogane. Just then, one of the escorts' radios started to beep. He picked it up and pressed the talk button.

"This is Final Guard 1," the guard said.

"This is Outer Defense Squad 3!" said a panicking voice on the other end. "We're taking heavy losses! We've thrown everything we got at him, and he's still---" The radio suddenly went silent.

"Outer Defense Squad 3, come in! Do you read me?" There was no reply. "We can't waste anytime here, men! Get the Shiroganes to the panic room before---" Suddenly, there was an explosion that rumbled the entire mansion, knocking them all down.

"What was that!?" Himeko asked. She turned around to see a gaping hole in the wall, a cloud of dust and debris pouring out of it, and a single silhouette. The figure emerged from the dust cloud, and it was Zero.

"Stand back, Mr. Shirogane!" the guards said as they pulled out large, high-tech rifles. "Stay back, monster! Our weapons are made from top-of-the-line technology! The defenses you faced outside are nothing compared to these!"

"Stand aside," Zero calmly said, taking one step forward. "My fight is not with you. I've come for Shirogane."

"Over our dead bodies you will! Get ready, men! Fire!" The guards unleashed a volley of lasers from their rifles. Zero weaved inbetween every shot with inhuman speed, almost seeming to vanish from human sight. He stopped in front of one of the guards, and grabbed him by his helmet.

"I gave you fair warning," Zero said, plunging the guard's head straight into the ground. The other guards were stunned by this feat of power, and out of pure terror, dropped their weapons and ran away.

"W-where are you going!?" Mr. Shirogane yelled the fleeing guards. "I paid you people to protect me from this monster! That's it! You're all fired!"

"We meet face to face at last, Mr. Shirogane..." Zero said, his mood darkening.

"Wh-wh-what do you want from us? Money? If you want money, just name your price! I'll pay it! Just don't hurt me or my family!"

"Money? Hmph..." Zero slowly approached Mr. Shirogane as he and his family crawled backwards away from him. "No amount of money can atone for what you have done..."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about... the Zero Project."

* * *

At that moment, Powerpuff Z had just arrived at Shirogane Manor to see the area almost completely demolished.

"This is horrible..." Bubbles said.

"It looks like there was a war down there," said Buttercup.

"And it's not over," said Blossom, "not until we save the Shiroganes from Zero!" They flew down to the ravaged manor.

* * *

"Zero Project?" Mr. Shirogane asked. "Wha, what are you talking about? I've never heard of any Zero Project!"

"Don't play dumb with me, Shirogane!" Zero retorted. "I've seen the records with my own eyes. 20 years ago, the Shirogane Group made a classified transaction with an unnamed recipient. It was also 20 years ago that the Zero Project was started, and abruptly, ended. It would take a lot of money to fund the kind of research the Zero Project implemented, and a lot of influence to keep it under wraps from the public eye. Coincidence, isn't it?"

"..." Mr. Shirogane was trembling, his head nearly drenched in sweat.

"Papa, what is he talking about?" Himeko asked her father.

"Dear?" Mrs. Shirogane looked at her husband. "What's wrong?"

"...O-okay! Okay! I admit it!" He broke down, on his hands and knees in front of Zero. "It's true! 20 years ago, I gave funding to a group of scientists who were working on a secret military project. It seemed like an investment with great potential. But then, I lost contact with them, and got nothing out of the deal! It was one of my company's biggest losses! But it was 20 years ago! Why does any of it matter to you!?"

"Because..." Zero clenched his fist. "...I am the fruit of their labors."

"Huh!?"

"Your company funded a group of madmen who abandoned their morals to satiate their desire of money, power, and recognition. Because of you, they had the equipment they needed to progressively mutilate me, turning me into the so-called 'monster' you see before you now. It's because of you... that this is happening."

"Y, you mean...! They used a live human test subject! They never mentioned anything like that! I might be an opportunistic businessman, but I still have my moral boundaries! If I had known, I wouldn't have given them a single penny!"

"...Do you have any proof of your ignorance at that time?" Zero asked.

"I, I don't, but please! I beg you! Please believe me!" Mr. Shirogane pleaded with Zero.

"...Then it is unfortunate." Zero pulled out his sword. "Mr. Shirogane. Because of you, I have lost everything... my past life, my humanity... the person most important to me... all of it, gone. For that..." He raised his sword into the air. "The penalty... is death."

"No! Please!! Don't kill me!!"

"Don't hurt my Papa!" Himeko screamed.

"Please don't do this!" Mrs. Shirogane begged.

"It ends now, Shirogane! Pay for your sins in blood!" Just as Zero started to swing down the blade, a small, red yo-yo wrapped around it, and something pulled his arm back. "What!?" Zero looked at his blade, and saw the yo-yo. "This weapon... then that means...!" He turned around to see Blossom and the other girls standing behind them.

"We can't allow to do this, Zero!" Blossom said. "Let the Shiroganes go!"

"Do you even understand what they've done to me!?" Zero yelled at her. "It's their fault I'm like this! They stole my humanity, turned me into a weapon, a tool... for what? Money!!"

"But killing him isn't going to change that!" Bubbles said. "Killing Mr. Shirogane won't solve anything!"

"It would give me a great sense of satisfaction knowing I would puring the world of this corrupt money-monger!"

"Are you even listening to yourself, Zero!?" Buttercup yelled at him. "The way you're talking right now... it's makes you look like the monster here!"

"What did you say!?" Zero gritted his teeth. "If you're so insistent in stopping me, then I'll kill you, first!" Zero pulled his blade back hard, pulling Blossom along with it. He swung his arm to the left, slamming her into the wall.

"Blossom!" Bubbles cried. "How can you be so heartless, Zero?" She pulled out her wand. "Bubble Champagne!"

"Heartless!?" Zero asked, swinging his now untied sword in front of him, shooting out a shockwave. The shockwave tore through the bubbles, cancelling the two attacks out. "How dare you judge me!"

"How dare us?" Buttercup asked, lunging at Zero as she pulled out her hammer. "How dare you try to dispense your own selfish brand of justice! Hurricane Lutz!"

"Rrraah!!" Zero leapt straight up, bursting through the ceiling.

"Running away again, Zero!?" Buttercup shouted. She was about to take chase, but stopped. "Bubbles, help Blossom and the Shiroganes. I'm going after Zero myself!" She then flew upwards into the hole made by Zero.

"Buttercup! Wait!" Bubbles called out to her. "It's too dangerous! You can't beat him by yourself!" But Buttercup was too far away to hear her. Bubbles rushed over to Blossom to check her injuries.

* * *

Zero burst through the roof of Shirogane Manor, landing on it. Shortly afterwards, Buttercame rushing out in a green streak.

"You have a lot of guts," Zero said to Buttercup. "Do you think you can defeat me on your own?"

"I don't think, I _know_!" Buttercup answered. "Multi-Swing Sonic!" Buttercup began swinging her hammer back and forth, each time creating a bolt of green energy headed for Zero.

"Don't underestimate your enemy!" Zero said, whipping out shockwaves from his blade for every shot Buttercup made. The flurry of attacks ended up canceling each other out. "It seems we are evenly matched..."

"Don't be... ridiculous..." Buttercup said, panting. "I... can beat you..."

"So you've said so many times before." Zero threw something small at Buttercup, and she caught it. She opened up her hand, and there was a small capsule-like object in her palm.

"What is this?" she asked.

"If you truly believe your own words," Zero said, "then you'll have no need for that. Now that I've given it to you, I could care less what you do with it next. you can throw it away, show it to your comrades, or simply destroy it." Zero turned around and activated his jet-pack.

"Wait a minute! We're not done here!"

"I am, though. My power is draining, and at this rate, I will not be able to defeat all three of you at once. It seems that Mr. Shirogane will get to live for a little longer." Zero then looked at Buttercup. "One last thing: you'll never have the strength to defeat me on your own, not without the help of your comrades. But with that capsule... your victory would be guaranteed. Whether you use it or not, however, is your choice." With that, he flew off at high-speed.

"What is that supposed to mean...?" Buttercup looked at the capsule in her hand. "Ah, I almost forgot! I need to help the others!" Buttercup jumped back down the hole in the roof.

* * *

Moments later, police, medical, and military vehicles surrounded Shirogane Manor, both on land and air.

"I can't thank you enough for saving me and my family, Powerpuff Z," Mr. Shirogane said.

"It's what we do," said Blossom. "By the way, I wanted to ask you... were you really telling the truth back then? About not knowing that Zero was the test subject."

"Absolutely! I would never willingly support such inhuman acts. As I said, I may be a penny-pincher, but I'm no monster!"

"Sorry we couldn't get here faster," Bubbles tried to apologize. "If we did, maybe your home would be in slightly better shape..."

"It's nothing our money can't repair," said Mrs. Shirogane. "The important thing is that my husband and daughter are safe and sound. Thank you, Powerpuff Z."

"You're welcome," Buttercup replied. The girls turned around and were ready to fly off.

"Wait!" Himeko said, almost as if it were a command.

"What do you want?" Buttercup asked Himeko.

"..." Himeko seemed a little hesitant to reply. "...Thank you..." she muttered, "for saving my Papa and Mama..."

"Y, you're welcome..." The girls then flew off. 'Himeko... actually thanked us?' Buttercup thought to herself. 'And the capsule Zero gave me... what exactly is it?"

* * *

At the abandoned lab, Zero had just entered the room.

"The seed has been planted," Zero said to himself. "And the time is almost near..." He turned to the canisters, and, suprisingly, there was only one, rather than two. The machines around him began buzzing, as if they expressing delight in his actions.


	11. Chapter 10

**PPGZ: Zero Project  
by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 10:** Raging Rowdyruffs! The Sixth Sin

In the abandoned lab, Zero was examining data about the black gas that he had unleashed on the city.

"Hmm..." he sighed as he read every last detail. "The gas works as intended on regular humans... but in the case of Sakurako, who already had a monster dwelling within her, it ended up separating the monster from her body, establishing its own independent existence. I wonder..." Zero looked at the final canister of black gas. "What would happen if it is used on pure monsters?"

* * *

"Come back here, you three!" Blossom shouted at three kids, who were slightly younger than her. These kids were none other than the Rowdyruff Boys, artificial monsters created by Mojo Jojo using Chemical Z, Powerpuff Z's DNA, and pieces of Mojo's body hair. The end result were three rude, obnoxious, and above all, disgusting delinquents who take pleasure in causing as much mischief as possible.

"Make us, you old hag!" the boy in red, Brick, shouted back, laughing as he ran.

"Old hag!?" Blossom took great offense to that remark. "I'll show you!"

"Calm down, Blossom," Bubbles said to her. "That's what they always say."

"Yeah," said Buttercup. "They're all talk and no action! Running away from us girls!"

"What was that!?" the boy in blue, Boomer, said as the three boys screeched to a halt.

"Are you calling us wusses?" the boy in green, Butch asked the girls. "We ain't scared of you!" He pulled out a green, smelly sock. "Smelly Sock Boomerang!" He hurled it at Buttercup, who swerved out of the way.

"We can do more than talk smack!" said Boomer, pulling out a pair of cotton swabs. "Earwax Fling!" He stuck the swabs in his ears, and flung out small balls of sticky earwax at Bubbles, who retaliated by creating a barrier of bubbles that trapped the disgusting wax.

"We'll send you crying home to your mommies!" Brick said, pulling out a straw. "Spitball Blaster!" He put the straw in his mouth, and started shooting out spitballs at Blossom, who easily dodged the projectiles.

"Not with those attacks, you won't!" the girls said, unleashing their attacks in response all at once. This sent the boys flying through the air, screaming off into the distance.

"Those boys really don't learn, do they?" Blossom asked.

"Every time it's the same old thing," said Buttercup, "pranks and insults."

"Not to mention weak, but unpleasant attacks," Bubbles added.

* * *

"Those stupid girls!" Brick shouted, kicking a can down an alleyway. "They showed us up again!"

"I blame that stupid monkey Mojo," said Boomer. "He didn't make us strong enough..."

"And even worse," said Butch, "we were made by 'their' DNA..."

"Yuck! Disgusting!" all three said in unison.

"If we had more power," Brick said, "we could totally kick their butts!"

"Yeah," Boomer said, "but... we couldn't win, even when Him gave us some of his power..."

"And Him is gone, too..." said Butch. "It's looking a little hopeless..."

"Not quite," a voiced echoed in the alley.

"Huh? Who's there?"

"That's for me to know, and for you not to worry about. I heard what you've been saying, and I have a remedy for your situation. You want enough power to defeat Powerpuff Z, correct?"

"Yeah!" said Brick. "But... even when we had more power, they were still stronger..."

"Perhaps so... but perhaps, you were seeking power in the wrong places..." Suddenly, a canister of black gas dropped out of the sky and landed in front of the boys. "This canister could be the answer to your plight." The lid popped off, and the black gas within began to wrap itself around the Rowdyruff Boys.

"Wh, what the...!" Boomer looked around himself.

"What's going on?" Butch asked.

"I feel a little wierd..." said Brick. The black gas began to enter their bodies almost as if they were being pulled in by a vacuum. When the gas was all gone, the boys all looked at eachother. "What was that all about? I don't feel any stronger..." Suddenly, their bodies began to glow with a dark aura. "Wha...? This power... I feel it... so... much... _POWER_!" From above, Zero watched the boys.

"That's right," Zero said, "let that power set in... and when the time is right, unleash your Rage on Tokyo City!"

* * *

"There we go," said Professor Utonium, holding Peach. "You're all ready to go, Peach!"

"Thank you Professor, da-wan!" Peach said happily.

"What did you do, Papa?" Ken asked.

"I've upgraded Peach's detection systems. Now he should be able to track Zero and any black gas monsters he creates." Suddenly, Peach started growling, wriggling out of Utonium's arms and jumping to the floor.

"What is it, Peach?"

"I sense a black gas monster, da-wan!" Peach yipped.

"You do?" Utonium asked. "Then I guess that means the upgrade was a success! Now then, we need to send Powerpuff Z out to investigate! Peach!"

"Powerpuff Z da-wan!"

* * *

Somewhere in Tokyo City, the white-haired girl, Bell, was walking down the sidewalk amongst the other citizens, when suddenly, the black compact on her belt began to beep.

"Huh?" Bell looked down at it. "What is it doing?" She looked around, and found a small, empty lot behind a building. She pulled the compact out of the belt and took a closer look at it. "It looks familiar, but... I just can't remember why..." Suddenly, the compact began to glow, and Bell was enveloped in a black vortex.

* * *

At that time, on the roof of the school, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru pulled out their compacts to speak with the Professor.

"What's the problem this time, Professor?" Momoko asked.

"Peach has just detected a black gas monster," Utonium said. "It looks like Zero has struck again."

"That makes this number six," said Kaoru.

"Greed, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony..." Miyako recited five of the Seven Sins, the ones exhibited by the monsters created by Zero so far. "If Ken was right about Zero's plans, then this monster must be either Pride or Rage."

"Rage should probably be considered dangerous," said Utonium, "but remember, they say that Pride is the One the other Six originated from. No matter who the enemy is, you should proceed with caution."

"We will, Professor!" Momoko replied.

* * *

Meanwhile, out in the streets of Tokyo City, swarms of panicking people were running away from a series of explosions heading in their direction. At the source of the explosions were three shadows, hiding in the clouds of smoke.

"This is the greatest!" one of the figures said.

"Now we can make even more trouble!" said the second.

"I'd like to see the look on those Stupidpuff Z girlies now!" the third figure said.

"Hold it right there!" shouted three familiar voices.

"Well, speak of the devil..." Powerpuff Z had just arrived at the scene.

"Fighting Love Science Legend, Po---"

"Shut it, already!" the third figure said. "You've said the same thing so many times before that it gives me a headache!"

"Hey!" Blossom said. "Who do you think you are, anyway!? We were trying to do our heroic entry poses!"

"Feh," said the first figure. "Poses are for idiots who like to waste time."

"Idiots!?" Buttercup clenched her fists. "Who are you people! Come out and show yourselves!"

"Alright," said the second figure, "but only because you asked so nicely." The three shadows emerged from the smoke, and the girls gasped at what they saw. They appeared to be the Rowdyruff Boys, except they looked a little older, about the same age as the girls.

"N, no way..." Buttercup said.

"You're...!" Bubbles gasped.

"That's right..." Brick said, grinning. "We're not just the Rowdyruff Boys anymore. Now, we're... Rowdyruff Z!"

"Rowdyruff Z?" Blossom asked. "You just a 'Z' to the end of your name. Trying to be like us, huh?"

"That's a downright insult," Boomer said.

"We're way above your league," said Butch.

"Today was the last time you girls pushed us around, said Brick. "Now it's time for the Boys to push back!" He pulled out a slingshot, and pulled back on the strap. "Ricochet Volley!" He released the strap, and several miniature black orbs started shooting out of the slingshot, bouncing off the ground and walls. When they got near the girls, they suddenly detonated, knocking all three of them back.

"Hey, what's the deal?" Buttercup asked. "That's not the weapon you usually use!"

"Like Brick said, we're not the same small-time Rowdyruffs anymore," Boomer said, pulling out a pair of Frisbees. "Saucer Slicer!" He threw out the Frisbees, and as they started spinning rapidly, they transformed into buzzsaw-like objects, slicing their way down the pavement. The girls flew up to avoid the attack.

"And don't even try your little 'trick' from last time!" Butch said, wielding a baseball bat. "Only little boys believe in cooties, and we're not 'little' anymore! Sonic Slammer!" Butch swung his bat almost in the same fashion as Buttercup swings her hammer, firing a green bolt at the girls, forcing them to scatter.

"There's no way they could be the Rowdyruff Boys," Blossom said. "We just beat them not too long ago!"

"They're using new weapons," Bubbles said, "and they're stronger than before."

"It looks like they got more attitude, too," said Buttercup. "This has Zero's stink written all over it!"

"Are you girls gonna gab all day," Brick asked, "or are you gonna fight?"

"You might've gotten stronger," Blossom said, "but that gives us a reason not to hold back! Ribbon Boomerang!" Blossom took off her ribbon, and hurled it at Brick.

"Don't think so!" Brick said, pulling the slingshot back again. "Brick Breaker!" He released the strap, and this time, a large red ball of energy shot out. When it hit Blossom's ribbon, it exploded, knocking the ribbon back at Blossom, who grabbed it and immediately put it back on.

"When we're done with you," said Boomer as his Frisbees returned to his hands, "we're gonna wreck this whole city, and let them know who's boss! Saucer Slicer!" He threw the discs out again, this time aiming for Bubbles.

"Bubble Boing!" Bubbles swung her wand twice, and two large bubbles appeared, cushioning the impact of the discs and sending them back at Boomer.

"There's no way we're gonna let you do whatever you please!" Buttercup said. "Graviton Drive!" She slammed her hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave towards Butch.

"Like you have a choice!" Butch retorted. "Bat Batterer!" He swung his bat down, and, like Buttercup, created another shockwave. When the two shockwaves met, they canceled eachother out.

"It's no good," Blossom said. "They're evenly matched with us!"

"Now you get it, don't you!" Brick asked Blossom. "Don't mess with Rowdyruff Z!"

"We'll see about that!" shouted a voice familiar to the girls, but not the boys. They looked straight up to Bell coming down, her fist extended. The boys leapt out of the way as she made contact with the ground, creating a crater.

"What the!?" Boomer gasped. "Who the heck is that!?"

"No fair!" Butch said. "You never said anything about getting another member!"

"Bell!" Blossom said. "W, why are you here?"

"I'm not here because you need help," Bell said. "I'm here to put these punks in their place!"

"Why, you...!" Brick growled. "...Fine! You win this time, but only because it's four against three! But you better watch your backs from now on! The Boys are back, and they're badder than ever!" Rowdyruff Z quickly turned around, and sped off on their rollerskate shoes, leaving a blazing trail behind them.

"They got away..." Bell said, hovering in place over the crater she made. "Some heroes you three are. You keep letting your enemies get away from you."

"Bell," Bubbles asked, "why don't you want to fight together? We're all Powerpuff Girls Z, right?"

"No," Bell immediately snapped back. "I'm not one of you... It'd be an insult to myself to associate with you three."

"What was that!?" Buttercup said, ready to attack, but Blossom stopped her.

"Then what are you planning to do, Bell?" Blossom asked her.

"...I remember what you said last time we met. You said I lost because I don't have teamwork like you. Well, I'm going to prove you wrong. I don't need teamwork! I just need determination! The kind of determination you lack! Now if you'll excuse me, I have three villains to track down!" Bell then flew off at supersonic speed, heading in the direction that Rowdyruff Z ran off in.

"Bell..."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the abandoned lab, Zero witnessed the events unfolding through one of the lab's old monitors.

"Hmm, not what I expected," Zero said, "but the results are satisfactory. Though, it was unexpected for that girl to appear... I'll keep an eye on her for now, for she seems to have the same kind of 'zeal' as I do." He turned off the monitor. "The pieces are all in place. There remains only one thing left to do... the time has come for Tokyo City to learn what the true meaning of 'justice' is..."


	12. Chapter 11

**PPGZ: Zero Project  
by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 11:** The Seventh Sin Appears! Zero's Ultimatum

It was an unusually gloomy day in Tokyo City. The sky was cloaked in gray clouds, as if it were about to rain. The morning sun was shining behind them, adding a reddish tint to the clouds. It looked like the sky wanted to say that something ominous was about to happen.

* * *

Zero was meditating to himself inside the abandoned laboratory.

"The time has come," he said to himself. "Greed... Sloth... Envy... Lust... Gluttony... Rage..." He then stood up. "And if all goe according to plan... the Seventh shall soon appear... Pride. And when it does, Tokyo City will no longer be able to deny my logic!"

* * *

The school bells rang out, signaling the end of classes for the day. Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru were walking together, as usual, looking up and the dark-red sky.

"It looks like it's gonna rain..." Miyako said.

"Just looking at the sky right now makes me feel uncomfortable," said Momoko.

"..." Kaoru was silent, her hand in her pocket. She was fiddling around with the tiny capsule that Zero gave her, as his words echoed in her head.

* * *

_"You'll never have the strength to defeat me on your own, not without the help of your comrades. But with that capsule... your victory would be guaranteed. Whether you use it or not, however, is your choice.."_

* * *

"Kaoru?" Momoko looked at her friend. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Kaoru just noticed Momoko was trying to get her attention.

"You've been awfully quiet," Miyako said. "That isn't like you..."

"I'm fine, really, I am," said Kaoru. 'Why would Zero give me something that could beat him?' she thought to herself. 'It must be some sort of trap. Or maybe he's trying to test me?'

* * *

At that time, the mayor was sitting confortably at his desk, enjoying a slice of strawberry shortcake.

"Ah, nothing like something sweet to liven up this dreary-looking day," the mayor said. "Right, Miss Bellum?"

"Whatever you say, Mayor," Miss Bellum replied. "But still, I have a bad feeling about today... like something important is going to happen."

"You're worrying too much, Miss Bellum. Maybe you've been overworking yourself. Now then, time to enjoy my snack!" The mayor picked up his fork, and just as he about to take a piece of the cake, one of the windows to his office shattered. The sudden change in air pressure sucked out lots of papers, and even the plate with the mayor's cake. "Ah! My precious cake!" Suddenly, Zero came flying down from above, hovering in front of the broken window.

"I have need of your broadcast system, Mr. Mayor," Zero said, floating into the office.

* * *

The streets of Tokyo City were relatively quiet. As the pedestrians were commuting, all of a sudden, all the electronic monitors and televisions in the city started displaying Zero's face. The people stopped and stared, wondering what was happening.

"Attention, people of Tokyo City," Zero said, beginning his speech. "My name... is Zero. Some of you may have noticed the recent string of new monster attacks withing the past few weeks. There is an explanation to this, and I am about to share it with you all."

* * *

"Papa!" Ken called out for the Professor. "Papa! Look! On the television!"

"What is it?" Utonium asked as he rushed over. His eyes widened when he saw the display of Zero.

"The city has comeunder attack recently by monsters exhibiting certain... 'traits'," Zero's speech continued. The monitor then displayed six images; images of the six monsters created by Zero. "Greed, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Rage... these Six Sins are obviously present in your city, and that is why I am addressing you today."

"He making his speech to the people... the place he could do that..."

"The mayor's office!" Ken said. "Peach!"

"Powerpuff Z da-Wan!" Peach called out.

* * *

"The purpose of my speech today is to ask for your approval. I come bearing a gift to the city: the gift of 'true justice'. You call the ones known as the Powerpuff Girls Z your saviors, but what, exactly, have they saved you from? Your city is still infested with monsters, and crime runs rampant in your streets. Your 'heroes' are nothing more than glory-seekers! Lend me your support, people of Tokyo City, and I will promise you this: I will become your hammer of justice, to strike down the wicked and cast out the evil from your city forever!"

"Stop right there!" three voices interrupted Zero in the middle of his speech. Powerpuff Z came flying into the mayor's office through the same broken window as Zero did. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!" As they were displayed on the monitors, many of the people started cheering.

"It's Powerpuff Z!" they cried. "They'll put a stop to this!"

"But what about that Zero fellow?" some of the other citizens asked. "There's some truth to what he's been saying. If Powerpuff Z really were heroes, they would've gotten rid of all the monsters in the city by now!" The members of the populace began to rumble with voices of conflict, and soon, they were divided in loyalty between Powerpuff Z and Zero.

* * *

"So," Zero said, "the charlatans arrive, late, as usual."

"What are you trying to do, Zero?" Blossom asked him.

"Isn't it obvious? I am lifting the veil of deception! The veil_ you_ cast over this city! You give the people a false sense of security, when their lives are still threatened by the presence of monsters!"

"But you're the one who created those six monsters," Bubbles said. "How is that supposed to make Tokyo City safer?"

"You miss the point. The reason for those monsters' existences were to open the eyes of the people. As I told you before, the real 'monsters' walk among us."

"I think you're the one missing the point, Zero!" Buttercup said. "You created six dangerous monsters, you attacked the Shirogane family... the only monster here is you!"

"Is that what you have to say?" Zero asked, pulling out his blade. "Then let us settle this once and for all. Let justice decide who will win the fight this day! And let the people of Tokyo City see, with their own eyes, who the true hero is!" He lashed out at the girls, shooting out multiple shockwaves from his blade. The girls scattered, and began to retaliate.

* * *

As the fight was being broadcast across the city, the people were still divided, not knowing who to cheer for.

"Go, Powerpuff Z!" half the crowd shouted. "Beat that monster just like all the others!"

"Go, Zero!" the other half cried out. "Show them what real justice is!" The crowds began to rumble with discontent, and eventually, riots and brawls started breaking out amongst the people.

* * *

The battle in the mayor's office continued. Blossom and Bubbles unleashed their attacks on Zero, only to have them deflected by his blade.

"This has gone on long enough!" Zero said. His blade began to glow, and with a wide swing, shot out a large shockwave straight at Blossom and Bubbles. The shockwave struck them both, slicing their clothes and slamming them into the wall.

"Blossom! Bubbles!" Buttercup cried. "Why you!" She charged at Zero with her hammer, swinging wildly like a berserker. Zero easily parried every swing, maintaining his calm composure.

"Pathetic," Zero said. He finally spotted an opening in Buttercup's swings, and threw a punch right into her stomach, sending her flying to the other end of the room. "I told you before... you are no match for me." He then turned away from Buttercup and began to approach Blossom and Bubbles, who were still incapacitated. "Now you can watch from there as I finish off these two."

"No..." Buttercup gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Then she remembered. She pulled out the capsule she received from Zero, and looked at it. Then she looked at Blossom and Bubbles, and then Zero, who was beginning to raise his blade into the air. 'If I don't do something,' she thought, 'Blossom and Bubbles will be...! I'm sorry, guys... you probably would've warned against it, but I don't have a choice!'

"This is the end, Powerpuff Girls Z," Zero said, his blade raised. "...Farewell."

"Not yet, Zero!" Buttercup yelled at him. He turned around, and saw the capsule clutched in her hand. She pressed a small button on the top of the capsule, and suddenly, a cloud of black gas began to leak out of it, swirling around Buttercup. Blossom and Bubbles had regained their senses just in time to see the spectacle unfolding before them.

"Buttercup!" Blossom called out to her.

"What are you doing?" Bubbles asked.

"Exactly what I was hoping she would do," Zero answered for her. The black gas began to envelop Buttercup as she started screaming in pain. "This was all according to my plan. Now, in full view for all of Tokyo City to see, the Seventh Sin has arrived. How ironic, that the deadliest of the Seven Sins would be manifested by someone the people called a 'hero'." A black vortex appeared around Buttercup, swallowing her whole.

"Buttercup!!" the other girls called out to their friend.

"It's no use, now," said Zero. "She opened the capsule of her own choice. She opened it because of the Seventh Sin... her Pride." The vortex dissipated, and there stood Buttercup, except she appeared different. Her eyes were glowing red, an evil look crossed her face, and a black aura was emanating from her body. "This is undeniable proof of the extent of the corruption in your city! So far, that it has reached even its 'saviors'!"

"Buttercup..." The girls couldn't believe what was happening.

* * *

The rioting crowds in the street stopped fighting immediately when they saw the image of the corrupted Buttercup.

"That's one of Powerpuff Z!" one of the people shouted. "She's turned into a monster!"

"Then that Zero guy was right..." The crowd fell silent as they looked on. In the crowd, there was a little boy, wearing a pair of raggedy shoes, holding a soccer ball.

"Buttercup..." the boy said to himself. "There's no way..."

**(AN: For those who don't know/remember, the boy is Shinichi, from an early episode in the anime, who asked Buttercup to teach him to be a better soccer player.)

* * *

**"I can't believe this is happening..." Professor Utonium shook his head, falling to his knees.

"Buttercup..." Ken murmured, his eyes welling up with tears, trying to hold them back.

* * *

"Just so you two know," Zero said to Blossom and Bubbles, "that batch of black gas was a special blend, just for this occasion. I mixed in something extra with the gas... a special chemical that allows me to control Buttercup's every action, now." He walked over to Buttercup and stood beside her. "She is not your friend anymore, but is now my loyal servant. Even more ironic, that you two will be finished off by her, and afterwards, she will die by my hand without raising a single finger in defense."

"You..." Blossom said, trembling. "You... _monster_!!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "How could you do something like this!? How could you do this, and still call yourself a hero!?"

"You're the most horrible person I've ever known, Zero!" Bubbles shouted. "You're even worse than Him!"

"Say what you want," Zero responded, "but what I do now is for the sake of truth and justice. Now, Buttercup... your first order: attack your former 'friends'!"

"Heheheheh...." the evil Buttercup snickered as she raised her hammer.

"Buttercup! Please, don't do this!" Blossom and Bubbles pleaded with her, but Buttercup was unresponsive.

"Megaton... Drive!" Buttercup slammed her hammer into the ground, sending out a shockwave that knocked the girls out of the office windows. The girls recovered quickly, hovering in place outside the office. Buttercup flew up in front of them, still snickering.

"What's wrong?" Zero asked the two girls. "Aren't you going to fight back? If you don't, she will kill you both!"

"We refuse!" Blossom yelled back. Zero's eyes widened at this reply. "We won't fight her..."

"Why not? Do you wish to die?"

"No..." said Bubbles. "We won't fight, because... Buttercup is our friend, and we believe in her!" Buttercup stopped snickering, and clutched her head with one hand.

* * *

In the crowd below, the little boy with the soccer ball heard what Bubbles said to Zero on the monitors.

"That's right..." the boy said. "That's right!" He shouted. The people around him started looking at the boy. "I believe in her, too! She's not the kind of person to give in so easily! I believe in you, Buttercup! Buttercup! Buttercup!" The boy started chanting her name. Slowly, but progressively, the people around him joined in his chanting, until it spread across the entire crowd.

* * *

The people's cheers could be heard all the way from the mayor's office.

"What?" Zero looked out the window at the crowd below. "Even after seeing the proof with their own eyes, they still deny it?" Zero paused. "Grr... fine then! Buttercup! Your next order: finish those two off! Kill them now!"

"..." Buttercup was unresponsive, hovering in place in front of the other two girls.

"Buttercup..." Blossom and Bubbles said. "You have to fight it! You're a strong person, not just in body, but also in heart! We know you won't give in to something like this so easily!"

"That's enough!" Zero shouted. "What are you waiting for, Buttercup!? Obey me! Attack!"

"...Okay..." Buttercup muttered. Suddenly, she turned around and looked at Zero, the red glow in her eyes fading away. "But only because you asked so nicely! Swing... Sonic!" Buttercup swung her hammer harder than she has ever swung before, firing a gigantic bolt of energy right at Zero.

"What!?" Zero was caught completely off-guard, taking the attack head on. He was knocked off his feet, and was slammed through the mayor's desk, and into the wall. The dark aura surrounding Buttercup began to warp, and suddenly, it dispersed into nothingness.

"Buttercup!" Blossom and Bubbles cried out.

"...I'm really sorry, you two..." Buttercup said. "Zero was right... I let my Pride get in the way of my judgment... but you reminded me of the truth..."

"Buttercup!" Blossom and Bubbles rushed over to their friend, giving her a group hug.

* * *

In the streets below, the people were cheering after watching Buttercup cast off her own corruption.

"That's the Powerpuff Z we know!" the crowd cheered. "Powerpuff Z! Powerpuff Z! Powerpuff Z!" The crowd chanted rhythmically.

* * *

"Buttercup..." the Professor said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank goodness..."

"We knew you could do it..." Ken said, barely able to contain himself. He, the Professor, and Peach started hugging eachother, tears overflowing.

* * *

"Ergh..." Zero pulled himself out of the wall. "Why? How? How could you have resisted it!? How could you have cast off that power so easily!?" Zero asked Buttercup.

"Don't you get it, Zero?" Buttercup asked him. "It's true that I'm strong physically, and for a brief moment, I prided myself on that, which is why I ended up using your capsule. But in the end, I was reminded of something..."

"!?" Zero didn't understand what she was trying to say.

"My true strength doesn't come from brute force," Buttercup explained, "but it comes from my friends, and the people who believe in me! That is what real strength is!"

"I, impossible...! R, rubbish!" Zero struggled to stand on his feet, and the girls approached him.

"It's over, Zero," Blossom said. "You've lost again."

"Please give up quietly," said Bubbles. "there's no reason for us to fight anymore."

"No..." Zero said, brandishing his blade. "I won't lose... I can't lose... not here, not now!!" He took a broad swing with his blade, slicing it across the floor. Suddenly, the entire office began to rumble, and the floor began to separate where Zero's blade had passed through. In fact, the entire top floor of the city hall building was sliced apart, and was about to plummet to the streets below. "It's your choice, Powerpuff Z... me, or the people below..."

"If you're such a great hero," said Buttercup, "then the choice is obvious." The girls quickly flew out of the office and down below. Zero stood there, watching them leave, then hastily made his escape, flying off.

* * *

The people below the city hall building screamed, too petrified to flee from the enormous chunk of the building that was falling towards them, Suddenly, three streaks of colored light appeared below it, and its descent was slowed, and eventually stopped. The crowd immediately dispersed as the girls slowly and gently placed the piece of the mayor's office on the ground. The people cheered wildly, and gave the girls a standing ovation.

"Thank you, Powerpuff Z!" they cheered, grabbing the girls and hoisting them in the air, cheering their name as they paraded down the streets.

* * *

At the abandoned lab, Zero staggered in, clutching his side.

"This, this is impossible..." Zero said to himself, falling to his knees. "How could I have lost, again?" He then dropped to his knees, and began to sob. "I've failed... Sophia... please forgive me..." The machines in the lab began to buzz loudly, as if they were trying to say something to him. "No... it isn't over... not yet..."


	13. Chapter 12

**PPGZ: Zero Project  
by Exdeathmore**

* * *

**Chapter 12:** Secrets Unveiled! The End of Zero!?

Zero sat silently in his chair inside the abandoned lab, the machines around him buzzing loudly.

"My plan has failed..." he said to himself. "I showed Tokyo City the evil that lurks among them, even within their 'heroes', and still, my words fell on deaf ears... I have no more black canisters, and the machine refuses to make any more... is this how it is going to end?" The buzzing of the machines grew even louder, and for a moment, Zero thought he heard a voice, although it was very faint.

**_IT IS NOT OVER..._**

"...That's right..." Zero said to himself. "I didn't fail... I just didn't realize the extent of Tokyo City's corruption... an example must be made of them. The entire city has been corrupted, and must be purged... I'll hunt down every single last person, and---" Zero stopped, cringing in pain and clutching his head. Visions of Momoko appeared in his mind. The memories of the time they had spent together were flowing through his head. "No, not all of them... there is still at least one who can still be saved."

* * *

The next morning...

"I'm going now!" Momoko shouted to her family, heading out the front door of her house. As she passed the front gate, someone called out to her.

"Momoko," said a familiar voice. She turned around to see Zack, leaning against the wall.

"Zack!" Momoko said, running up to him. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I wanted to see you," Zack said. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"I'm sorry, Zack," Momoko said, "but if I don't hurry, I'll be late for school!"

"Please, Momoko," Zack said. Momoko could hear the tone of seriousness in his voice. "This is very important to me, and you're the only one I can talk to about it..."

"Zack...?"

"If you need to go to school, I'll walk you there, and we can talk on the way. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course..." The two began to walk together. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about, Zack?"

"I wanted to ask you a few questions..." Zack replied. "You and me... we're... friends, right?"

"Right..."

"And friends can trust each other with secrets, right?"

"Umm... I guess you could say that, right..." Zack stopped walking. Momoko turned to face him. "What's wrong, Zack?"

"...I trust you, Momoko," Zack said, "enough to share with you a secret. What I want to know is, do you trust me?"

"..." Momoko stared at Zack, not understanding what he was trying to say. "...Yes... You saved my life. Of course I trust you."

"Then I have one more question," Zack said, placing his hand on Momoko's shoulder. "I want to show you my secret. Will you come with me so I can show you?"

"..."

* * *

Later, the school bells rang, signaling the start of class. As the students were seated, Ms. Keane bagan taking roll call.

"Shirogane," Ms. Keane said.

"Here, of course," Himeko replied, taking pride in her perfect attendance.

"Gotokuji."

"Here," Miyako answered, raising her hand.

"Matsubara."

"Right here," Kaoru said.

"Akatsutsumi." There was no reply. "Akatsutsumi?" Everyone looked over at an empty desk in the back of the room, where Momoko's assigned seat was. It was empty. "Miss Akatsutsumi is absent today? That's strange... is she sick?"

"Momoko's not here?" Miyako whispered to Kaoru. "This isn't like her..."

"Do you think something may have happened to her?" Kaoru whispered back.

"Gotokuji, Matsubara," Ms. Keane addressed the two. "You two are friends with Miss Akatsutsumi, aren't you? Do you have any idea where she might be right now?"

"No, Sensei," they answered, "sorry."

"I see... Well then, I guess we should start class then..."

"Anyway..." Kaoru whispered. "Let's wait until lunch, and ask the Professor if he's seen or heard from Momoko."

* * *

At that time, Zack and Momoko were heading down the more underdeveloped areas of Tokyo City, nearing the city limits.

"We're about to leave Tokyo City," Momoko said. "Are you sure this is the right way, Zack?"

"Absolutely," he replied calmly. "The thing I want to show you..." He pointed in the direction of the woods. "...is over there."

"Over there...? In the woods?"

* * *

Later that day, classes broke off for lunch break. Miyako and Kaoru headed up to the roof, and pulled out their compacts, calling the Professor.

"What is it, you two?" Utonium asked.

"Professor," Kaoru said, "is Momoko over at the lab with you?"

"Momoko? No, she isn't. I though she was with you, since you're in school right now."

"She hasn't shown up for class today," Miyako said. "I'm starting to get worried..."

"This is very troubling... I'll track her location though her compact, and I'll let you know as soon as I find her."

"Thank you, Professor," the girls said as they put away their compacts.

* * *

At that time, in the wilderness near Tokyo City, Zack continued to head in a straight direction, seeming to know exactly where he was headed. Momoko struggled to keep up with him, pushing through the clusters of bushes and brush. Zack stopped and saw Momoko's difficulty.

"Are you okay, Momoko?" Zack asked her.

"I, I'm fine..." she tried to answer as she squeezed past another bush.

"Here, give me your hand." Zack extended his hand out to her, and Momoko placed her hand in his. Zack pulled her towards him, then lifted her up onto his back. "There. Now you won't have as much trouble."

"Th, thank you, Zack," Momoko said, blushing. "But, isn't it going to make it harder for you to move?"

"This is nothing," Zack said. "Let's keep going, shall we?" Momoko nodded, and they continued on their way. Eventually, they reached a clearing in the forest. There was a single, large bush in the middle of the clearing, unusually sticking out among the rest of the flora. Zack knelt down, and gently put Momoko back on her feet. "We're here," he finally said.

"Here?" Momoko asked him. "Where, exactly, is here?"

"...My home."

* * *

After school, Miyako and Kaoru immediately made their way to Utonium's lab, eager to find out what happened to Momoko.

"Professor!" Kaoru called out. "Did you find her? Did you find Momoko?"

"I think so..." Utonium replied. "According to the radar... she's just outside the Tokyo City limits, out in the wilderness."

"The wilderness?" Miyako asked. "What is she doing out there? Do you think she's been kidnapped?"

"I'm not sure. I've tried to make contact with her, but for some reason, the signal isn't reaching her compact. You two might have to transform and go out there yourselves to find out."

* * *

"Your... home?" Momoko looked confused at what Zack had said. "You live out here, in the middle of the woods? But, I don't see any kind of house..."

"Not quite a house..." Zack said, approaching the single bush in the middle of the clearing. He grabbed the bush, and easily lifted it out of the way; it was a fake. Underneath the fake bush was a rusty old hatch. Zack opened the hatch, revealing a ladder that seemed to lead down into total darkness. "Down here," he said. "I'll lead, and you follow. It's dark down there, and I don't want you to trip and fall on the ladder." Zack crawled into the hatch, and made his way downwards.

"Zack..." Momoko murmured. "Exactly who are you?" she asked herself as she followed him into the hatch. At first, it seemed like the inside was completely dark, but after a few moments, Momoko's eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, and she could make out a few shapes. At the bottom, Zack waited for Momoko to get off the ladder.

"We're almost there, Momoko," Zack said. "Come, and watch your step." He took Momoko by the hand, and slowly guided her down a long, moss-covered corridor.

* * *

Outside, bubbles and Buttercup scanned the woods from above, hoping to find some sign of their friend.

"Momoko!" Bubbles called out at the top of her lungs.

"Momoko!" Buttercup also called out. "Where are you?" Just then, they noticed the single clearing in the woods, and saw the fake bush and hidden hatch. "Huh? What's that over there?"

* * *

Inside the dark hallway, Zack and Momoko reached a door. Zack pressed a button on the wall, and the door slowly lid open, rusty metal screeching against rusty metal. On the other side was the abandoned laboratory, Zero's hideout.

"This is it," Zack said. "This is my home..."

"Your home...?" Momoko asked. "How can you live in such a run-down place like this?"

"I manage," Zack said, approaching the single chair on the other side of the room, but rather than sit on it, he stopped in front of it, and lowered his head. "I'll ask you one last time, Momoko... You're my only friend in the entire city, and I trust you enough to tell you my greatest secret. The question is, do you trust me, and after I show you my secret, will you continue to trust me?"

"..." Momoko was silent for a moment. "...Yes... I trust you, Zack. You're a very kind person, and I would trust you with anything."

"...Thank you, Momoko. You have no idea how much those words mean to me right now." Zack turned around and faced her. "Now I can tell you my secret without any regrets. The truth is... my name is not Zack."

"Huh? Wh, what do you mean?"

"Zack, this appearance, is just a ruse, a guise. I'll show you who I really am..." Zack's body began to glow, and slowly morphed before Momoko's eyes.

* * *

At that moment, Bubbles and Buttercup were descending the ladder down into the dark hallway.

"Who would've thought something like this could have been hidden so close to Tokyo City?" Bubbles asked Buttercup.

"I don't know," Buttercup replied, "but I have a feeling this is where Momoko is." Just then, the hallway began to brighten up. "What the? What's that light coming from?" The two girls looked down the hallway to see the source of the light emanating from the other end.

Zack's body stopped glowing, and Momoko gasped, her eyes widening, the feeling in her face drained. Standing before her was Zero.

* * *

"This is my true form, Momoko," Zero said to her. "My real name... is Zero."

"N, no way..." Momoko took a step backwards. "You... you're... Zero?"

"Please, Momoko, don't be frightened," Zero said, taking one step forward. "I'm not going to hurt you. This was the secret I wanted to show you. And... I'm sorry... for deceiving you for so long... it was wrong for me to do so."

"Zero...?" Momoko continued to back up, until her back was against the wall. 'This can't be...' she thought. 'This is unbelievable! How could the kind Zack I knew also be the heartless, uncaring Zero that I've fought?'

"This abandoned laboratory," Zero explained, "is where I was created. It was here, that an experiment known as the Zero Project, was started. A team of scientists experimented on me in this very room, attempting to create the ultimate soldier, infused with a mystery substance known as Chemical X. They slowly mutilated me, removing my organics and replacing them with cybernetics. Near the project's completion, however, one of the scientists started to speak out against finishing the project. And becase of that, the other scientists punished her, fearing that she would tell the world about what had happened here."

"Zero..."

"But that is all in the past now, 20 years to be exact." Zero lowered his head again, looking away from Momoko. "The past can't be changed, but the future can be forged. Now you know everything, Momoko. There's only one last thing I wish to ask of you..."

"Huh?"

"I want you to stay here. Stay here with me, and I can guarantee your safety forever. I've made a decision. The people of Tokyo City are all corrupt, choosing to embrace their chaotic lifestyle. I have to purge the city of all its people, but first, I wanted to find you, so that you wouldn't get hurt."

"Purge?" Momoko asked Zero. "You don't mean...!"

"Yes. I will eliminate all the evil that infests Tokyo City, even if it means burning every last building down to its cornerstone."

"We won't let that happen!" shouted two voices from the lab door.

"Who's there!?" Zero immediately turned towards the doorway, and saw Bubbles and Buttercup rush into the room. "Powerpuff Z!? What are you doing here? How did you find this place!?"

"Zero..." Momoko said, lowering her head. "I want to apologize, too..."

"Momoko...?" Zero was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Up until now, I had no idea that Zack, who I believed was the nicest person in the world, was actually Zero, the person who tried to let loose seven monsters on Tokyo City, my home..." She pulled her compact out of her belt.

"Momoko... what are you talking about?"

"I'm so sorry, Zack, no, Zero... I've been deceiving you, too... I have another identity as well..." Momoko lifted the compact into the air, and it started glowing with a bright, white light. The light faded, and Momoko had transformed into Blossom right in front of Zero.

"Blossom!" Buttercup said.

"Momoko!" Bubbled cried out. "What are you doing?"

"Momoko..." Zero began trembling. "You, you're... Powerpuff Z?"

"I'm so sorry, Zero..." Momoko said, sobbing. "I didn't know that this was going to happen..."

"No..." Zero staggered back, holding his hand over his face. "Momoko is my friend, and Powerpuff Z is my enemy... does it mean Momoko is my enemy, or are Powerpuff Z my friends? I just... don't... know anymore..."

"Zero..." Blossom took a step towards him, but he immediately put out his arm, motioning for her to stop. Blossom gasped when she saw a tear trickling down his face, onto his hand, and down his wrist. "Please, Zero... I really didn't know who you were until just now... we can still work this out, we can still be friends!"

"Friends...?" Zero said, still trembling. The machines in the lab began buzzing, and again, Zero heard what sounded like a faint voice.

_**SHE IS LYING. SHE IS YOUR ENEMY.**_

"Yes..." Zero said to himself. His body stopped shaking, he removed his hand from his face, and stood up straight. "I finally understand now..."

"Zero..." Blossom smiled, thinking that he understood the situation and the circumstances.

"You..." Zero said to Blossom, pointing at her. Suddenly, his arm transformed into his blade. "You tricked me!"

"What? No, Zero! Please, I---"

"Shut up!" Zero swung his blade, making a shockwave, hitting Blossom and knocking her into the wall.

"Blossom!" Bubbles and Buttercup cried out. "Stay back! We'll take care of this!" They charged towards Zero, ready to attack.

"Get away from me!!" Zero said, swinging his blade wildly at them, creating a flurry of shockwaves. Every single one made contact, knocking the two girls back and slamming them into the machinery.

"Zero..." Blossom said, struggling to get back up. "Please, listen to me..."

"No!" Zero snapped back. "It's all clear to me, now. You knew who I was from the start, didn't you!?"

"No, I didn't! I---"

"Lies! You only came with me so that those two could find my hideout, and so all three of you could finish me off!" He grabbed Blossom by the throat, and pinned her against the wall.

"Blossom!" Buttercup tried to get up, but she was too stunned and injured to move.

"Zero..." Blossom said, tears streaming from her eyes. "Please... don't do this..."

"..." Zero was unresponsive as he pulled back his blade, ready to strike.

"Please, Zero... you're not this kind of person... I know... because of the time we spent together as Momoko and Zack. Don't you remember?" Memories began to overflow in Zero's mind. Images of Momoko and himself as Zack, Zack saving Momoko from the three muggers, eating together at Kintokidou, and watching the city from high above in the observatory. "You said you were happy back then. You said you felt at peace when we were together... was that a lie?"

"Nngh..." Zero's arm began shaking, his blade unsteady.

"Even if you're Zero, and I'm Blossom, I'm still Momoko, and to me, you're still Zack, and the Zack I know is the kindest person I've ever known..."

"M, Momoko..." Zero said. Suddenly tears began to stream down his face as well.

"You said you wanted to help Tokyo City, to fight monsters and protect people. Please, don't become one of the monsters you promised to protect others from..."

"Momoko..." Zero lowered his head, unable to contain his emotions. "...Errr... Errrr_RAAAAAHHHHH!!_" Suddenly, he thrust his blade forward.

"Momoko!" Bubbles and Buttercup cried out. They gasped, though, when they saw that Zero missed Blossom, thrusting his blade into the wall next to her. Zero loosened his grip on her, letting Blossom drop to the floor. He removed the blade from the wall, and it turned back into his normal hand. He dropped to his knees, tucking his head between them and clutching his head with his hands.

"What have I been doing?" Zero asked, his voice muffled. "What have I become...?"

"Zero..." Blossom tried to approach Zero.

"Stay back!" Zero said immediately. "Stay away from me! I'm nothing but a monster..."

"You're not a monster..." Momoko said, kneeling down next to Zero. She placed her arms around him, hugging him in his curled up position. "To me, you're still Zack. You're still my friend... we can still make this work. We can still be friends."

"Momoko..." Bubbles and Buttercup had recovered, but stayed in their place, watching the two of them.

"Momoko..." Zero sobbed, still curled up. "...Please... leave."

"Zero?" Blossom looked at him.

"Leave now, please... don't tell anyone about this place... promise me..."

"Zero, why are you talking like that?" Suddenly, Zero got up and pushed Blossom away from him.

"_Leave!_" he shouted at her, tears still pouring out. "Just, just... get out of my sight! Leave me alone!"

"Zero..." Blossom sobbed, barely able to hold back her tears. Bubbles and Buttercup rushed over to her, and helped her to her feet.

"Blossom," Buttercup said, "I think you should do as he says..."

"He's hurting enough on the inside," said Bubbles. "It's the best thing you can do for him right now..." The three girls then headed for the exit. Blossom turned her head to look at Zero, who was still on the floor, weeping like a baby, until he was out of her sight. As soon as they exited the room, the lab door slid shut.

* * *

"What have I been doing all this time?" Zero asked himself. "Was what I was doing really for justice, or was it for myself?"

_**WHY DID YOU LET HER ESCAPE?**_

"...Momoko is my friend..."

_**SHE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. SHE IS THE ENEMY.**_

"No... she can't be..."

_**YOU MUST PUNISH YOUR ENEMIES. HATE THEM, PUNISH THEM, KILL THEM!**_

"No, no no! Shut up..."

_**KILL...**_

"Shut up..."

_**KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL!!!!!**_

"..._SHUT UP!!_" Zero screamed at the top of his lungs, pulling out his sword and plunging it into one of the machines. Sparks flew as he removed the blade. He then picked up the single chair in the room, and hurled it at the machine that created the black gas canisters. Zero was in a blind fury, wrecking everything around him. He let out an agonizing scream that echoed across the room.

* * *

The next day, it seemed like everything had returned to normal. It was the weekend, so there was no school. Momoko got out of her room, her hair let down and still in her pajamas, as she slowly and quietly headed down the stairs.

"Good morning, Sis!" shouted Kuriko, Momoko's younger sister. "Hmm? What's wrong with you? You don't look so good."

"..." Momoko was quiet. "...Zack..."

"Zack? That's a boy's name, isn't it? Did you get rejected for a date again, Sis?" Kuriko tried to poke fun at her, but Momoko did nothing in response. She headed over to the sofa, grabbed the television remote, and turned on the TV. There was an emergency news flash on the screen.

"We have just received word of a fire that broke out in the forest just outside of the Tokyo City limits," the reporter announced. Momoko's eyes widened. "The fire has been mostly contained by firefighters, though the cause of the blaze is unknown." The image behind the reporter was of the clearing where the abandoned lab was located. The area was charred and blackened by fire.

"That place...!" Momoko said. She immediately stood up, and rushed back upstairs to her room, shutting the door behind her and locking it.

"Sis?" Kuriko called out. "What's wrong with you? You're acting really wierd today! Wierder than usual!" Kuriko looked at the TV as the broadcast continued.

"Firefighters have suprisingly discovered some sort of underground facility at the point of the fire's source," the reporter continued. "Police are already en route to investigate..."

* * *

At the entrance to the lab, the hatch was blocked off by police barricades. Firefighters were still struggling to extinguish the remaining flames that were jumping out of the hole in the ground. Just then, Blossom arrived at the scene.

"What happened here?" Blossom asked one of the police officers.

"Ah, aren't you Powerpuff Z?" the officer asked. "Well, it looks like a fire broke out here last night. We think it originated from the underground facility that's right below us, but we can't get in until the fire is put out completely,"

"Blossom!" called out a familiar voice. She turned around to see Bubbles and Buttercup approaching. "We saw the story on the news, and we knew you'd be here."

"Did you find anything unusual?" Blossom asked the officer. "Are there any bodies?"

"Like I said, we won't know for sure until---"

"We got it!" one of the firefighters interrupted. "The fire's out! It's safe to move in now."

"Good, it's about time," the officer said. "We would appreciate the help if you three could help us investigate the scene."

* * *

Inside the abandoned lab, everything was a complete and total mess. All the machines were either broken or melted partially, the floor, walls, and ceiling were littered with char marks and signs of straight cuts. The girls looked around the room, but there didn't seem to be any sign of Zero.

"He isn't here..." Blossom said, looking down. "You don't think he's..."

"Blossom..." Buttercup placed her hand on Blossom's shoulder. "You did everything you could for Zero, I'm sure of that. I think he finally realized what exactly he was doing, and couldn't take the guilt anymore."

"So, this is my fault?" Blossom began sobbing.

"No, it isn't," Bubbles said. "Like Buttercup said, you did everything you could to help Zero. I believe that thanks to you, he was finally able to let go of his past grudge. I believe that you finally set him free from that burden of hatred he had been carrying for 20 years."

"Bubbles... Buttercup..." Blossom couldn't contain herself anymore. She embraced the two girls and started uncontrollably crying. Bubbles and Buttercup hugged Blossom back, trying to comfort her as much as they could.

* * *

Ever since that day, there had been no more new monsters appearing in Tokyo City, and life slowly reverted back to the way it was. The only evidence of Zero's presence were the city hall building, which was being repaired, the renegade girl Bell, the revived monster Sedusa, and the newly empowered Rowdyruff Boys Z. Other than that, things in the city were back to normal. Monster attacks became regular again, and each time, Powerpuff Z was there to fight and protect. But Tokyo City will never forget what had happened in the past few weeks. The scars that Zero had left behind would never heal, especially in the case of one young girl...

* * *

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**The End...?

* * *

**In an unknown location, completely covered in darkness, a large computer began to spark with black electricity, turning itself on. A message typed itself out on the computer's monitor.

**_DATA TRANSFER COMPLETE. COMMENCING ZERO PROJECT, PHASE 2..._**


	14. Interlude

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Note from the Author:** Thank you to everyone who has read Zero Project up to this point, and all one (or two) of you that were kind enough to leave your thoughts on it. You'd think the story would be over, but it is far from it. I'm already working on the second half of this dramatic tale, so until then, I've provided a small interlude that explains the origin of Zero, and how his hatred for evil was born. This special chapter is told from Zero's perspective, so the references 'I', 'me', 'myself', etc. are referring to Zero himself.

* * *

**Interlude:** The Origin of Zero

It was dark. I couldn't see anything. I tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn't move. I tried moving my arms, but they were being held in place. I felt the air rushing past my face, the sounds of rickety wheels underneath me, bumping up and down against rough terrain, and several voices.

"Hurry, hurry!" one of the voices quietly said. "If we're caught, we're done for!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, dammit!" another voice answered. Although I couldn't move or see, I smelled a fresh, natural aroma. It smelled like the outdoors, almost like a freshly-mowed lawn. Suddenly, I felt myself stop. I heard a chorus of chirping crickets, accompanied by the rustling of a bush. Then, strangely, there was a loud, creaking sound; metal scraping against metal.

"Get him in there, quickly!" the first voice whispered. Suddenly, my sense of direction was warped. I felt the blood rushing to my head as I was tilted over. I could feel the air brushing past me, and I could tell I was being lowered, going into the ground, no, under it. After a few seconds, I heard the creaking sound again, and a loud _clang!_ After a few more seconds, I felt relieved as I was set upright again, the blood returning to where it belonged. I fellt myself moving again, but this time, the wheels underneath me were no longer bouncing; they were moving along a very smooth surface.

"That was a close one," the second voice said, no longer in a hushed tone. "I can't believe we just did that!"

"Tell me about it," the first voice responded. "I'm starting feel more like a criminal than a scientist. Anyway, we're here." I came to a sudden stop. I heard several beeping and clicking sounds, and then I started moving again. I felt myself turning to the right, and stopped again.

"Welcome, gentlemen," said a soft, female voice. "I've been expecting you."

"We brought you a present, Dr. Nate," said the first voice. "Here's your test subject, courtesy of Professor Dick."

"I see..." the female voice seemed to trail off a little.

"Dick expects you to start your work here immediately," said the second voice. "As for us, he says we're needed at the 'other' facility." I heard two sets of footsteps becoming progressively quieter, until I could no longer hear them.

"So you're the one, aren't you?" the female voice said, supposedly addressing me. I wanted to reply, but I couldn't even move my lips to open my mouth. "I wonder who you are...?" That's right... who was I? I couldn't even remember, like that part of me had been ripped out of my mind...

* * *

I blacked out. I had no idea for how long, though. I heard a churning and gurgling sound all around me. Every time I took a breath, it sounded muffled. I tried to open my eyes again, and this time, I was successful. However, I wasn't prepared for what I saw. My entire view was orange, swarms of tiny bubbles rising upwards around me, and directly in front of my face, a long, black tube. I looked around, and realized that I was completely naked. And then, I saw her. It was a young woman, with the strangest shade of cyan hair, tied up in a braid, and hanging over one shoulder. Her eyes had the same bright blue color as her hair, and her skin was fair and pale, almost like a ghost. She was sitting down in a chair to my left, typing on a keyboard. She looked at me, and gasped, backing up a little.

"Who... are you...?" I managed to squeeze out of my mouth. I suddenly felt weak, and I blacked out again.

* * *

The next time I woke up, I was no longer surrounded by orange liquid. Instead, I was lying on my back, strapped to a table, a bright light glaring into my face. I squinted and turned away from it, and to my left, I saw her again.

"I see you're awake," she said, a calm, gentle smile on her face. "I wasn't expecting you to wake up inside the capsule earlier."

"Who... are you...?" I asked her again, since I never received an answer the first time.

"My name is Dr. Sophia Nate," she replied.

"Dr.... Nate?"

"You can call me Sophia, though. I would prefer that."

"Sophia..." Little did I know at the time, that name would be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. "Where... unngh..."

"Shh. Don't talk. You don't want to strain yourself in your current condition." I wanted to ask her what she meant by 'current condition', but I was feeling weak again, and fell asleep.

* * *

When I regained consciousness, I was inside the orange liquid again, but this time, there was no black tube. I looked down and to my left, and saw Sophia, sitting at her chair, looking straight at me.

"Good morning," she said with a smile.

"Sophia...?" My voice came out gargled. I gasped, thinking I was going to drown. Surprisingly, I inhaled the liquid, and exhaled it as if it were air. "What is this thing? Where is this place?" Those were just a few of the near endless number of questions I wanted to ask her.

"You're in my laboratory," Sophia said. "I can't tell you exactly where, though. As for the capsule you're in, it's filled with a special preservation fluid. In your current state, you would be dead without it."

"Dead? How?" I looked down at my body, and what I saw was horrific. My left arm and right leg were gone, and there were several gaps in my torso, organs missing where they were supposed to be. I opened my mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. I immediately passed out from shock.

* * *

I woke up, laying on my back again, out of the liquid. I could hear the sound of metals being welded together. I saw lights and sparks out of the corner of my eye. Suddenly, they stopped. I almost dreaded what I was going to see if I looked, so I kept staring at the ceiling. Sophia came into view, looking down at me.

"Sophia?" I asked. "What... what are you doing...?" I looked at her, straight into her eyes. There seemed to be a sense of regret in them.

"I'm..." she hesitated. "...completing your new... body." She looked away.

"New... body?" I summoned the courage to look down at my body. I was clad in red body armor, with details of black and white. I almost looked like a knight, ready and geared for war. "What is this appearance for?" I asked Sophia. "Why do I look like this."

"…" Sophia did not respond, still looking away. "I can't tell you that... not yet. For now, you must rest..." Right as she said those words, I felt my strength fading from me, and my world turned black once more.

* * *

"How is the specimen progressing?" I heard a man's voice asking.

"It's been a difficult process," replied the voice of Sophia. I slightly opened my eyes, just enough to see. I was back inside the capsule, and I could see Sophia, speaking with a man with blond hair, tied in a short ponytail, with slightly tanned skin, and yellow-tinted glasses. "The specimen's organics kept rejecting the Chemical X transfusions," Sophia continued speaking, "so the only option was to replace the conflicting organics with cybernetics. In fact most of the specimen's power is derived from the cybernetics rather than the Chemical X."

"Is that so? Hmph, we might as well have built a robot instead of abducting some no-name chump off the street. Well, what's done is done. As for the Chemical X, there's no reason for anyone else to know. Continue your work. I'll be back to check on your progress again."

"Yes, Professor Dick..." Sophia said, slightly bowing as the man walked off. After he had left the room, Sophia looked straight at me. "You can open your eyes now. He's gone." I was surprised she knew I was awake. I opened my eyes fully and looked at her.

"How did you know?" I asked her.

"Call it intuition," she said.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked her. "Am I the 'specimen' you were talking about?"

"...I'm sorry about referring to you like that..." Sophia sounded sad. "Professor Dick is very short-tempered, and ambitious to match. The only thing he cares about is success and profit. It would put me in a bad position if I made him angry."

"Then why work for him?" I asked her. "Why not simply leave?"

"...I can't. I'm being... coerced into conducting this research."

"Coerced? What do you mean?"

"Before this, I was a leading authority on cybernetics and man-machine interfaces. Professor Dick believed he needed my knowledge to complete this project, and brought me here... I guess, in a sense, I'm as much of a prisoner here as you are."

"…" I was at a loss at what to say or ask next, and then it occurred to me. "Sophia... who... am I?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" She seemed confused. "You don't remember who you are?"

"No, nothing... I can only remember back to the day I was brought here. Everything else before that... nothing."

"Oh dear... it must have been the procedures I'd performed on you... it must have tampered with your memories... I'm so sorry... but I don't know who you are, either. All I know is that Professor Dick's men brought you here, saying you were the specimen for the Zero Project."

"Zero... Project?" The name stuck in my head, repeating itself again and again. I scouldn't remember my past life... I couldn't even remember my own name. "...Zero."

"E, excuse me?" Sophia looked at me.

"If I can't remember my name," I said, " then I just need a new one, correct? My new name will be... Zero. Now we can both call each other by name... Sophia."

"Zero..." Sophia turned away from me, hiding her face. Although I couldn't see, I saw the slight shaking of her body, as if she were sobbing. I felt tired, so I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

* * *

"...Sophia," I said to her the next day, "you said something before about being a prisoner, like me... what did you mean by that?"

"…" Sophia did not give me an answer for a while, looking down at the ground. "...Professor Dick forces me to work here. He wants to create the strongest soldier in the world, which is why you're here... Professor Dick is a heartless man with no morals, and he said that I refuse to work, he'll... he'll..."

"...You don't have to worry," I said to her. "If it's for your safety, then continue your work."

"Zero...?"

"There is at least one thing I can remember from my past... one thing I cannot stand is watching others suffer when it can be prevented. So finish your work, Sophia."

"But if I continue, it might mean having to remove more of your human parts. You might even end up becoming a total machine..."

"It doesn't matter to me," I said. "As long as I have the power to choose for myself, that alone is what makes me human. Your work is to make me stronger, isn't it? If you finish your work, and Professor Dick, or anyone else, threatens to harm you... I will protect you."

"Zero..."

"I promise you this much. If I ever have the chance, I want to use my power to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"Zero..." Sophia looked up at me, smiling. "...Thank you. It will pain me to do so, but if it's what you want... then I will." She sat down at her chair, and started to type away at her computer. "The process is almost finished, and when it is, you'll be out of that capsule for good. But for now, you should rest."

"I will... good night, Sophia..." I closed my eyes and started to drift off. Before I did, though, I heard her say one more thing.

"...Good night... Zero."

* * *

"Professor Dick," I heard Sophia say. I opened my eyes to see her talking to the man from before again, and I immediately closed my eyes again. "What are you doing here so soon?"

"Shirogane is starting to put the pressure on us," said Professor Dick. "They want results very soon, or else they'll cut our funding. I've also heard some disturbing rumors... rumors concerning you, in particular."

"Wh, what do you mean?" I could hear the fear in her voice.

"I hear you've been conversing with the specimen whenever it was awake. If you had the time to talk to it, you would have had the time to be finished by now."

"I assure you, Professor, there's nothing to be worried about. No such thing has occurred, and the project is nearly finished."

"That had better be the truth, Sophia, or you know what will happen..." I heard Dick stomp off angrily. After I heard him leave, I opened my eyes and turned to Sophia.

"He sounded very angry," I said to Sophia. "Very angry at you..."

"He's always like that..." Sophia said. "Professor Dick tolerates nothing that isn't part of his plans. Zero... listen to me..." Sophia started to sound serious, the gentleness fading from her for a moment. "Very soon, your body will be complete, and Professor Dick will return to take you to another facility, much like this one. Before he does, I want to help you..."

"Help me... do what?"

"...To escape. I should have never let that man force me to do this to you. Nothing I can do now will ever return you to the person you once were. The least I can do, however, is try to free you from your cage."

"Sophia, you mustn't," I objected. "If you do, he will hurt you, or worse, he could---"

"That's of no consequence to me, not anymore. I probably deserve as much for allowing this to happen. If I am to leave this world, this life, I wish to at least stone for the sins I have commited..."

"Sophia..."

"I want you to live, Zero," Sophia said to me, placing her hand on the glass capsule I was in. "I want you to be able to be free, free to choose your own path, free to live the life you wish to live..."

"Sophia..." Without even thinking, I placed my hand on the glass right where hand was. Even through the glass and orange liquid, I could feel the warmth from her hand. "...Thank you... I promise you, Sophia. If I get out of here, the first thing I will do is protect you, and ensure your safety."

"You're a kind person, Zero. Somehow, I feel that you were just as kind in the life you had before..."

"Heh... do you really think so?" I felt the warmth of Sophia's hand travel through my body. It was an amazing sensation. I closed my eyes, and without realizing it, drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Professor Dick!" Sophia gasped. I immediately opened my eyes and saw Sophia standing in front of Professor Dick, who had two armed men standing behind him. "Th, this is an unexpected visit. What are you doing here?"

"Do you think I'm stupid, Sophia!?" Dick sounded enraged. "Did you think I wouldn't notice what you are doing here!?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know, Sophia! You've grown close to the specimen. Too close for my tastes! There's a transport outside the facility as we speak. Prepare the specimen for transportation to the second facility."

"You can't!" Sophia objected. "He's not ready yet! He... he doesn't deserve to be treated this way!"

"_He_!?" Dick pointed at the capsule, at me. "That thing isn't a 'he' anymore! '_It_' is the fruit of all our labor! We're so close to completing the project, and you choose _now_ of all times to grow a conscience!?" He motioned to the men behind him. "I've wasted my breath long enough. Restrain Dr. Nate, and take the specimen to the transport."

"No!" Sophia ran to Dick, who immediately shoved her away, knocking her against the chair, toppling it over, as she fell to the ground.

"Sophia...!" It was the first time I had seen her in pain. How could someone be so heartless as to hurt someone as kind and gentle as Sophia. "Sophia!!" I shouted, thrusting my hands on the glass. Professor Dick turned to look at me, his eyes widening.

"It... it's awake!?" he said, stepping back. I continued pushing, and the glass began to crack slowly. The cracks spread, and eventually, the glass gave in, shattering into pieces. The orange liquid around me began to pour out as I fell out of the capsule, dropping to my hands and knees. I slowly stood up, looming over Dick. "I won't let you harm Sophia!"

"D,d,d,d..." Dick was trying to say something to me, but he was stuttering in fear. He turned to the guards. "Don't just stand there, you idiots! Put that thing down!" The guards pulled out rifles, aiming for me, and began firing. I placed my arms in front of my face, a natural reaction for just about any person, but suprisingly, I wasn't killed in an instant. Instead, I only sparks and heard the sounds of bullets ricocheting. The sounds stopped, and I lowered my arms to see the guards shaking, their weapons lowered.

"It's no good!" one of the guards said. "Our weapons are useless against it!"

"I didn't say to stop!" Dick yelled at them. "Keep shooting!" The guards complied. And raised their rifles again. Without thinking, I quickly ran up to one of the guards, and it seemed like time had slowed down. With both my hands, I grabbed their rifles, trying to pull them away, but suddenly, they broke in my grip. They immediately let go of the weapons, backing away from me.

"P-please! Don't kill us!" the guards begged. "We were just following orders!"

"Wait," I said, dropping the broken weapons, "I, I didn't mean to... I don't want to hurt—-"

"Eyaaah! Get away from us!" The guards ran off screaming.

"Get back here, you cowards!" Professor Dick yelled at them. "Don't just leave me here!" He growled, almost in a beastly manner, and faced Sophia. "You... this is all _your_ fault! I'll make you pay fir this!" He began approaching Sophia. I quickly intervened, standing between the two.

"You'll do no such thing," I said to him. "I won't let you harm Sophia!"

"G, get back, you freak!" He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pistol, aiming it point-blank at my forehead. "Your whole body is armored... everything but your head! Lights out!"

"No!!" Sophia cried out. Suddenly, I felt her arms wrapping around me, and I was spun around. There was a loud _bang!_ I turned around to see Sophia, a shocked look on her face. I looked behind her, and then I saw it. There was a small hole in her back, her white lab coat soaking red with blood, and spreading; she had taken the shot in my place. "Z... Ze...ro..." she uttered, as she dropped to her knees, falling on her side.

"Sophia...!" It took me a moment for what had happened to set in. "Sophia!!" I cried, kneeling down and holding her up. I gently shook her. "Sophia! Sophia! Wake up! Sophia!!" She was unresponsive. Her eyes were shut, and I could feel the warmth of her body fading away. I stood up and glared at Professor Dick. "What have you done!?"

"I-it wasn't my fault!" Professor Dick stuttered.

"You hurt Sophia..." I took a step towards him.

"Get away from me! Die, y-you m-monster!" He held his pistol up at me again, but before he could pull the trigger, I grabbed his wrist, and started squeezing. "Aaaa_aarrghh!_" he screamed in pain, dropping the pistol. Even so, I continued to squeeze, until I head the sound of breaking bones. I released my grip, and Dick dropped to his knees, clutching his now broken hand. I clenched my right fist, and with my left hand, grabbed him by the collar of his lab coat.

"You call me a monster..." I said to him. I felt a strange sensation in my right arm. "You brought me to this place..." Suddenly, my right arm started to glow. I looked at it, and saw it morph before my eyes. When the glow faded, my arm had become a long-bladed sword. I then looked back at Dick. "You forced Sophia to mutilate me against her will... and now, she's...!"

"W-w-wait!" Dick said, trembling in my grip." Wh-what are you going to do to me!?"

"You hurt Sophia, and call _me_ a monster..." I unconsciously raised my right arm. "The real monster... is _you!_"

"_NO! PLEASE!!_" Dick screamed at the top of his lungs. "_DON'T KILL ME! I DON'T DESERVE TO DIE! NOT LIKE THIS!!"_

"Monsters like you... are the ones that need to be destroyed!" I swung my right arm. One could most likely guess the result of that action. I dropped his lifeless corpse on the ground, and my blood-soaked right arm began to glow again, returning to its original shape. I turned back around, and knelt down in front of Sophia, holding her in my arms. "Sophia..."

"Zero..." I heard her voice. I quickly looked at her face. She was looking back at me, her eyes barely open. She was still alive! There was a small trickle of blood dripping from her mouth. I took my hand and wiped it away. "You're okay..." she said. "Thank goodness..."

"Sophia!" I cried, holding her close. "Hold on, Sophia! I'm sorry... I couldn't my promise... I couldn't protect you..."

"It's already too late for me, Zero... but you... you still have a chance. I want you to live. You have to live!"

"Sophia!"

"Please promise me, Zero... don't fight out of anger. Hatred only breeds more hatred, leading to an endless cycle of death and destruction... please, promise me that you'll break that cycle..."

"Sophia... okay. I promise... for you..."

"Thank you, Zero..." Sophia somehow gathered the strength to raise her arm, placing her hand on the side of my face. She smiled and closed her eyes. "Even when surrounded by a cold metal body... you still feel... warm..." Those were the last words I would ever hear from her, as her body went limp.

"Sophia...?" There was no reply. I started to shake her. "Sophia? Sophia! Open your eyes, Sophia! Sophia!!" It was already too late, just as she said. At that moment, right in my own arms, her life was gone forever. I could no longer contain it. I hugged her body tightly, tears streaming out of my eyes. "_SOPHIA!!!_" I screamed out, still holding her, still weeping. I heard the sounds of multiple footsteps spproaching, but I didn't turn around.

"In here, quickly!" shouted a voice. "Professor Dick could be--- my God..." Several heavily armed guard entered the room only to see the bloody remains of their employer, and me, holding Sophia. "The specimen is loose! It's killed Professor Dick and Dr. Nate!" Hurry! Get the stun prods out! Now!!"

"Sophia..." I repeated to myself, cradling her body. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain shooting into my back, and spreading throughout my entire body. I couldn't move my body, and lost all my senses; I became numb, and the world around me became mute and black.

* * *

When I had regained consciousness, I could move, but only a little. It was pitch-black, save for a small rectangular window in front of my face. Just then, an unfamiliar face, a man, loomed in front of the small window.

"I see you're awake, freak," he said. "But not for long..." He turned away to speak to someone, but I couldn't see. "Computer, activate stasis sequence. Duration: Indefinite." Then, I heard a monotone, robotic voice.

_**STASIS MODE INITIATED. DURATION: INDEFINITE.**_

"Nighty-night, monster," the man said, grinning. "...Forever." Again, I felt my sense failing me. My eyes grew heavy, and I drifted away to sleep.

* * *

As I slept, my mind began to drift... memories started to distort... fade... vanish.

_I remember... evil people... I hated them... and a promise... but what was that promise, and to whom did I make it to...?_


	15. Chapter 13

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 13:** Utonium's New Assistant? Sin's Atonement

Several weeks have passed since the Zero incident. The mayor's office was finally repaired, and all seemed well. There had been no signs of Zero or any more black gas monsters. It seemed that the situation had been permanently resolved. Until today...

_Bing-bong!_ The National Science Center's doorbell sounded.

"Yes, yes, coming!" Utonium shouted out to whoever was outside. "Wait right there!" Utonium reached the front door, and opened it. "Welcome to the National Science Research Center! I'm Professor Utonium, how can I help you?"

"Excuse me..." a young man's voice said quietly.

* * *

Later that day, school had let out. In fact, it was the last day of classes, and the beginning of summer vacation. Kaoru dashed across the courtyard and jumped in the air.

"Yahoo!" she cheered, raising her fists. "Finally! Summer vacation's here! Nothing to do but kick back, relax, and have some fun under the sun!"

"Just the kind of reaction I'd expect from you, Kaoru," Miyako said, catching up with her. Momoko was falling behind them, almost dragging her feet across the ground, looking depressed.

"What's wrong with you, Momoko?" Kaoru asked. "I thought you of all people would be the most excited about this! You should running past even _me_, shouting something like, 'Hey, let's go to Kintokidou to celebrate the start of summer!' or something."

"…" Momoko was unresponsive as she continued walking. "Let's just go to the lab, like we always do..." Momoko walked past Kaoru and Miyako as they watched their friend go by.

"I think she's still depressed," Miyako whispered to Kaoru. "About you-know-what..."

"You mean Zero?" Kaoru whispered back. "But that was weeks ago. She's still upset about that?"

"Scars on the body hurt only for a short time and eventually heal, but the scars on your heart hurt the most, for the longest time... It's something my grandmother told me. I can only imagine what kind of pain Momoko is going through right now..."

"When you put it that way... Momoko really wanted to help Zero, but in the end, she feels like she couldn't do anything to save him." They both sighed as they followed Momoko, catching up with her.

* * *

When the girls arrived at the lab, they were quickly greeted by Ken and Peach.

"Good afternoon, you three!" Ken said cheerfully.

"What's with the big smile on your face?" Kaoru asked.

"The Professor has something to say to you, da-wan," said Peach. "Something important! Come with us!" Ken and Peach headed for the lobby, and the girls followed. Once in the lobby, they all sat down on the large sofa, and Professor Utonium entered the room.

"I have big news today," the Professor said, clearing his throat. "We've just hired a new employee today!"

"Really?" Miyako asked. "That's wonderful!"

"I know! Starting today, he'll be working and living here. He is going to be my aide in all of my experiments and research."

"Well, where is this new guy?" Kaoru asked, looking around.

"He's in the next room, trying on his new lab coat. He should be out any second now." Just as Utonium finished talking, the door behind him slid open. A young man entered the room, wearing a long white lab coat, black slacks, and black shoes.

"Nice to meet you all," the young man said. The girls' eye widened in surprise of what they saw. But out of the three, Momoko was the most shocked. The young man had long, spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes. "My name is Zack. Starting today, I will be acting as Professor Utonium's personal aide." He bowed in a polite manner. "Again, it is nice to meet you."

"Wh, wha...!" the girls were practically speechless.

"What the heck is this!?" Kaoru shouted, jumping straight up out of her seat, pointing at Zack. "Do you even know who the heck this guy is!?"

"Of course," the Professor replied calmly.

"Wait," Miyako interrupted, "you mean, you know that he's...!"

"Yes, we all do."

"Z..." Momoko uttered a single sound. "Z...Za...ck...?"

"Alright, what's your big plan this time, Zack?" Kaoru asked him.

"Excuse me?" Zack asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Don't play dumb, Zack! Or should I say, Zero!?"

"...Never mention that name in front of me again."

"Huh?"

"I never want to be called by that name ever again."

"Ah, Zack," Utonium said, "would you mind going into the storage room and cleaning it up a little?"

"Of course, Professor," Zack said, nodding. "If you'll excuse me..." Zack quietly and calmly walked past the girls. Time seemed to have frozen for Momoko the moment Zack walked past her. HE headed for the door on the other side of the room and left.

"Have you lost your mind, Professor!?" Kaoru asked him. "What are you thinking, letting Zero, of all people, walk around freely like that!?"

"That's enough, Kaoru!" Ken shouted at her. "Please sit down and be quiet so we can explain!" Kaoru clenched her fists, and sat back down on the sofa, crossing her arms.

"This morning," the Professor began, "Zack came to us, appearing at the front door..."

* * *

Earlier that day...

"Excuse me..." Zack said in a quiet voice.

"You're...!" The Professor gasped.

"I have a request... please let me work here."

"Eh?"

"I have done many terrible things in my life," Zack said, "and because of those things, many people suffered. Suffered because of my selfish ideals. I wish to work here, alongside you, who strives everyday to make Tokyo City, no, the entire world, a better place to live. I believe that this is a proper way for me to atone for my sins, but perhaps even this would not be enough..."

"You're... Zero, aren't you? Momoko and the others told us about you. We thought you..."

"Zero..." Zack cringed at the mention of that name. "Never call me by that name again. That man... no, that _monster_... no longer exists. I have made sure of that."

"Then, the fire in the woods...?"

"Yes. I started it. I wanted to erase the existence of that accursed place, so that a tragedy like this would never happen again." Zack got on his hands and knees, and bowed humbly before the Professor. "So please, I beg of you... let me work in this place. Allow me to atone for my sins in some way."

* * *

"Zack... said that?" Momoko asked the Professor.

"He seemed very honest about it," Ken said. "I think he's telling the truth."

"How can you be so sure?" Kaoru asked him. "How do you know this isn't some sort of trick he's pulling?"

"He isn't that kind of person!" Momoko burst out. Her head was hung low, her clenched fists trembling in her lap.

"Momoko..." Kaoru looked at her friend, sensing the anger and mixed emotions stirring in her.

* * *

Unknown to any of them, on the other side of the door, Zack was listening in on their conversation.

"Momoko..." he murmured to himself. He sighed, and headed for the storage room as he was told to do.

* * *

Several days passed, and the lab was filled with an atmosphere of uneasiness. Every time Zack and the girls looked at each other, or were even in the same room, it felt like a fight could break out at any moment. Regardless, Zack continued to perform all the tasks assigned to him by Professor Utonium without hesitation. Then, one day...

* * *

Zack was carrying a stack of bundled papers down the hallway. Right as he turned around the corridor, he immediately bumped into Momoko, dropping the papers all over the floor.

"Ah!" Momoko said. "I'm sorry, I---" She stopped when she saw that it was Zack she bumped into. Zack. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Zack then brushed off his coat with his hand and started picking up the papers without a word. "Here, Zack, let me help you with---"

"It's fine," Zack interrupted as he picked up the last bundle. "The Professor needs these research notes filed, so if you'll excuse me..." As he started to walk off, Momoko stopped him.

"Wait!" she cried. Zack stopped, not turning around.

"What is it?" Zack asked. "I'm very busy right now, so make it quick."

"...I was worried about you..." Momoko said. "When I saw the fire on the news that day, I thought---"

"That I was dead?" Zero finished her sentence. "...Sometimes, I wished I had stayed there and burned." With that remark, he walked off, leaving Momoko alone.

"Zack..." Momoko watched him walk off. "What happened to you? Why won't you talk to me anymore?"

* * *

"You think Zack's avoiding you on purpose?" Miyako asked Momoko. Momoko simply nodded. "Why do you think he would do something like that?"

"...I don't know," Momoko replied. "Every time he sees me, he keeps making some sort of excuse to get away from me..."

"Hmm... what if we put him in a situation where he can't avoid you?"

"I'm not sure... that sounds a little... aggressive."

"I have an idea, but only if you want to go through with it." Miyako began to whisper her plan into Momoko's ear.

"...Ah! That sounds great!" Momoko hugged Miyako. "Thank you, Miyako! You're the best!"

"Don't thank me yet," Miyako said, "not until the plan works, anyway."

* * *

"Excuse me," Miyako said, approaching Zack. He turned around to see her.

"What is it?" Zack asked. "I'm very busy right now."

"The Professor said he needs your help sorting and filing some paperwork. Come with me!" Miyako took Zack by the hand, and led him into the next room. Inside, papers were scattered all over the floor and on the table in the middle of the room. Momoko was also inside, already working on picking up the papers.

"!" Zack looked somewhat surprised to see Momoko. "I see that the Professor already asked her to do this. I'll be on my---"

"But the Professor wants this finished as soon as possible. Didn't you say you wanted to help around the lab?"

"Well, yes, but---"

"Then it's settled," Miyako said, pushing Zack into the room. "Work hard, you two!" As she closed the door, Miyako giggled to herself. '_Good luck, Momoko,_' she thought to herself.

* * *

There was a feeling of awkwardness in the room as Zack and Momoko picked up the papers cluttered on the floor.

"…" Momoko was quiet, occasionally looking at Zack as she worked.

"…" Zack was equally quiet. They both reached for the same paper, and they touched hands. Zack quickly pulled back his hand, looking away from Momoko. This was the last straw for her.

"What is wrong with you, Zack!?" Momoko shouted at him. "Why won't you talk to me? Why do you keep avoiding me?"

"…"

"And why won't you answer me? Do you... hate me...? For lying to you that day?"

"…No," he finally spoke. "I don't hate you for that, Momoko. I don't hate you at all. I've forgiven you for that a long time ago... I thought that _you_ hated _me_..."

"Why would I hate you?"

"Why wouldn't you? I deceived you, I terrorized the city, I even went so far as to turn your friend against you..."

"Zack..." Momoko approached him, and held his hand. "I forgive you for that. I forgave you a long time ago, too."

"You do...?" Zack finally looked at Momoko, but he still seemed sad. "...Thank you."

"You still look sad, Zack. What's wrong?"

"Even if I forgive you, and you forgive me... I cannot forgive _myself_. Not after that..." He closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. "I promised to protect you, to keep you from harm. But I broke that promise, and I almost... killed you that day. For that, I can _never_ forgive myself..."

"…It's true," Momoko said. "You did almost kill me that day, and you had the perfect opportunity to, but in the end, you didn't. You _did_ keep your promise, Zack... you protected not just me, but also yourself, from your own anger and hatred."

"Momoko..." Suddenly, Zack wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. "Thank you, Momoko... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." He began sobbing, which turned into weeping.

"Zack..." Momoko returned his hug. "It's okay... everything will work out... You're not alone anymore. You're still my friend, and I'm sure that Kaoru and the others will forgive you in time."

"I have my doubts..." Zack managed to regain his composure, wiping away his tears. "...but when you say it, it makes me believe it's true." He looked at Momoko, and for the first time since their reunion, he smiled at her. "...We should finish our work here, soon."

"Yeah," Momoko said, smiling back, and the two continued to work. Just outside the room, Miyako was listening to everything that was going on inside.

'_Good for you, Momoko,_' she thought, '_you too, Zack. I'm as sure as Momoko that everyone will forgive you as well._' She quietly crept off, making sure they didn't notice her eavesdropping.

* * *

In a strange, unknown location, there was the sound of metal being welded together, flying sparks, and the grinding of gears. A large computer in this dark place began to spark with black electricity, and typed out a message.

_**CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE. INITIATING DATA TRANSFER TO CONSTRUCT.**_

In the darkness, two small, yellow lights started to glow, like a pair of eyes.


	16. Chapter 14

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 14:** Zack's Trial, Kaoru's Doubt

"This time for sure, mojo..." Mojo Jojo mumbled to himself. "I've had so much time to prepare for this, since hiding from that crazy red human, mojo. Now that he's gone, I can come out of hiding, and this time... most definitely, I _will_ defeat Powerpuff Z, once and for all! Mojojojojojojo!!" He cackled as he added the finishing touches on his latest creation.

* * *

"I'm telling you, I still don't like it," Kaoru said to Momoko and Miyako as all three were heading to the lab from school.

"You've been like that for almost two weeks now, Kaoru!" Momoko said. "Why can't you just give Zack a chance?"

"Because I'm not you, okay? When I look at him, I don't see your 'boyfriend', all I can see is Zero! And when I start thinking about Zero..." Kaoru started tensing up all over.

"I understand why you're upset, Kaoru," Miyako said. "I know he's done a lot of bad and terrible things as Zero, but now Zack's trying to make up for all of it. He's learned to put it behind him and keep going, and so should you."

"…" Kaoru was quiet the rest of the way to the lab.

* * *

"Welcome back, girls," Zack said, bowing politely to greet the girls.

"Hi Zack!" Momoko said.

"Nice to see you again," Miyako said.

"…" Kaoru was silent, until Momoko nudged her arm. "...Hi," she mumbled, walking off. Zack seemed depressed when he watched Kaoru walk past him.

"It seems that Kaoru still doesn't like me..." Zack said.

"She can be stubborn," Momoko said, "but she'll get over it eventually." She looked around the lobby. "Where's the Professor and the others?"

"Peach is still here. The Professor and Ken said they had something important to do elsewhere, and they wouldn't tell me what it was. Until they return, I've been left in charge of the lab."

"Have you had any... problems with Ken or Peach since you came here?" Miyako asked out of curiosity.

"They were a little surprised at first, just like the Professor, but they seem to be very understanding of my situation. If only the same could be said for Kaoru..." Just then, an alarm started to go off. "What's that?" Zack rushed over to the emergency monitor and turned it on. It was the mayor.

"Professor Utonium!" the mayor said. "We have--- wait a minute, you're not Professor Utonium!"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Mayor," Zack said. "The Professor is unavailable at the moment. I'm his new assistant, Zack."

"Is that so? Pleased to meet you, young man... wait, I'm getting off track!"

"I'm sure I can help you in the Professor's place. What seems to be the problem?"

"Mojo is rampaging downtown, and he has the biggest robot I've ever seen him use, ever!" The display switched to an image of a city block, completely demolished. Standing atop the rubble was a enormous dark purple robot, with multiple weapons and armaments protruding from all areas of the main chassis. The image magnified itself on the glass cockpit in the center of the machine, showing Mojo. "We need Powerpuff Z right away!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Mayor," Zack said. "They'll be right there!" Zack seemed to pause for a moment, then turned around and made a dramatic pose, pointing at nothing in particular. "Powerpuff Girls Z, move out!" he shouted, his face red, his expression awkward.

"Uh, Zack...?" Momoko and Miyako stared at him. "What are you doing?"

"...The Professor said I should learn to do this," Zack replied, "but as for why, he did not say." He stopped posing. "Peach!" he called out for the digital dog. Peach came rushing into the room.

"Powerpuff Z, transform da-wan!" Peach shouted out.

* * *

While flying across the skies towards downtown, the girls' compacts started glowing. They each pulled their's out and flipped them open. Zack was on the other end.

"I took a closer look at Mojo's robot," Zack said. "That monstrosity is armed to the teeth, so I suggest approaching it with caution. If I find any sort of weakness, I'll be sure to let you know immediately."

"Okay, Zack," Blossom said. "Thanks for the warning."

"Hmph," Buttercup grumbled. "It's only Mojo. What's the worst that could happen, anyway?"

* * *

When the girls reached downtown Tokyo City, it looked like a bomb had hit the place. A majority of the buildings there had been torn to pieces by Mojo's robot.

"Stop right there, Mojo!" the girls shouted at him. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z, are here!"

"I've been waiting for you, Bakabaka Z!" Mojo said, mocking their name. "This time, for certain, without a doubt, I'll be the winner, and finally take over the world, mojo!"

"I've heard those lines before," Buttercup said, shrugging.

"Things are different this time, mojo! With my Mojo Chimera, I'm invincible! I've had time to cover all my bases with this one! Now then... attack, mojo!" The robot aimed two tentacles, tipped with flamethrowers, at the girls, and launched a stream of fire at them. The girls scattered, and tried getting closer.

"When are you going to learn, Mojo?" Blossom asked as she pulled out her yo-yo. "Strawberry Anmitsu Shot!" The yo-yo gave off a red aura as Blossom shot it at the robot.

"I did learn, this time, mojo!" Mojo snickered. "Defense, mojo!" He pressed a button on his control panel, and two more arms, attached with two large plates of metal, moved in front of his cockpit and merged together, forming a shield. The yo-yo's attack was deflected. "And now, counter, mojo!" Several tentacles, armed with sickle-like objects, began lashing out at Blossom. She was able to dodge most of them, but the last swing just grazed her jacket.

"Don't worry, Blossom!" Bubbles shouted out to her. "I've got your back!" She flew behind the Mojo Chimera, and swung her wand. "Bubble Popper!"

"No you don't, mojo!" The sickle arms suddenly bent over backwards, and the sickles shot out of the tentacles, slicing through the bubbles, and nearly hitting Bubbles herself. "Like I said, I've made sure I'll win this time!" More tentacles extended outwards, equipped with pincers, trying to snatch the girls.

"Eat this, monkey-breath!" Buttercup yelled, charging into the tangle of tentacles. "Swing Sonic!" As Buttercup swung her hammer, the shield arms quickly weaved right in front of her, making her hit the shield before she could release the energy in her hammer. The unexpected impact reverberated through Buttercup's body. As she was stunned, a tentacle with a large fist came in from the side, punching Buttercup away.

"Buttercup!" Blossom and Bubbles turned to check on her. The instant they let their guard down, the Mojo Chimera's pincer arms grabbed both of them. "Kyaaah!"

"Got you, mojo!" Mojo chuckled. "Now to finish you off! I'll pinch you two... in two! Mojojojojojo!" The pincers began tightening their grips, and Blossom and Bubbles began crying out in pain.

"Hang on!" Buttercup said. "I'm coming!" Just then, her compact started beeping. Buttercup opened it, and saw Zack again.

"Hold on, Buttercup," Zack said to her. "Don't just go rushing in there, or you'll end up like them!"

"I don't need _your_ help! I've handled Mojo before, and I can---"

"Will you just _be quiet_ and _listen_ to me for once!?" Zack snapped at her. "I want to save them as much as you, but we won't accomplish anything if you get caught, too, or if we're too busy fighting each other!"

"…" Buttercup was quiet. "...Fine. Do you have a plan, or something?"

"I've run a complete scan on Mojo's robot, and like he said, it's practically invincible."

"That doesn't really help, you know!"

"I'm not done yet. Examine the robot, and you can see one obvious flaw with it." Buttercup did as Zack instructed taking a closer look at the Mojo Chimera, with all of its tentacles flailing about.

"Hmm... ah, that's it! I think I've got it!" Buttercup said as she flew towards the massive machine. "Hey, Mojo! That's some robot you got! But you still haven't caught me!"

"I'll fix that right now, mojo!" Mojo said as he extended several arms towards Buttercup. Before they reached her, however, she charged straight ahead, letting them fly past her. "Come back here, mojo!" The tentacles turned around, twisting around each other as they gave chase. Buttercup flew around the pincer arm that was holding Bubbles, then headed off in another direction. The chasing tentacles mimicked her movements, wrapping around the pincer arm. The thick metal arms began to squeeze the pincer, until it snapped off, freeing Bubbles. Buttercup repeated the process with Blossom, tricking Mojo into breaking his own weapons.

"We're free!" Blossom and Bubbles cheered.

"What!?" Mojo gasped. "Not for long you won't! I'll just---" He stopped when he realized that all of his weapons were tangled up and unable to move. "...mojo?"

"You'll just _what_!?" the girls asked him as they unleashed their finishing moves on his robot. In a fiery eruption, the machine was destroyed, sending Mojo and his cockpit capsule flying off into the horizon.

"I'll remember this, mojooo~!" He shouted as he vanished from sight.

"Buttercup!" Blossom and Bubbles rushed over to their friend. "You did it! You saved us!"

"Not just me," Buttercup said, pulling out her compact and opening it. "Thank Zack, too. He's the one who pointed out Mojo's weakness."

"Zack did?" Blossom asked. "So... does that mean...?"

"...Zack," Buttercup spoke into the compact.

"Yes, Buttercup? What is it?" Zack seemed to expect what was coming next.

"I just wanted to say... thanks, and... I'm sorry. I should've trusted you like Blossom and all the others."

"Does this mean that... we're friends, now?"

"Yeah... we're friends... but don't push your luck too hard! It's gonna take more than just one battle to fully gain _my_ trust!" She smiled slyly at Zack.

"I'll keep that in mind," Zack smiled back. "You did a good job today, girls. Come back to the lab and get some rest. You deserve it."

* * *

Back at the lab, Utonium and Ken had returned from their prior engagement.

"Welcome back, Professor," Zack greeted them.

"Ah, Zack, good to see you," Utonium replied. "I see things are the same as when we left. Did anything happen while we were gone?"

"Nothing that I could not a little help, of course."

"That's good to hear. By the way, Zack, I have something very important for you to do." Utonium whispered something to him, and Zack raised an eyebrow at what he heard.

"Yes, Professor," Zack responded, "I'll get started on it right away." As Zack headed off to do whatever it was the Professor told him to do, he came across Kaoru.

"Hey, Zack," Kaoru said. "Just, um... wanted to say, thanks, again. And, I'm sorry for acting like a jerk to you for so long."

"There's no reason to apologize," Zack said. "You had a perfectly justified reason for distrusting me. Especially after---"

"Like Miyako said, I gotta learn to put this behind me, and keep going, like you. I'm not gonna lose to you again!" She said, grinning. Then, she extended her hand out to him. "So, let's both work to moving forward!"

"Kaoru..." Zack was a little surprised by this gesture, then smiled and nodded. "Right. Let's continue to work together!" He returned her handshake.

* * *

In a dark, unknown location, a pair of small yellow lights pierced the darkness, like a pair of eyes. Then, there came a voice.

"_Data transfer complete_," the voice said in a deep, echoing tone. "_Initiating mission: Hunt... Destroy... Kill..._"


	17. Chapter 15

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 15****:** The Girls' Shock! The Nightmare Returns

Inside Utonium's lab, the Professor and Ken were busy working on machinery, with Peach watching when Zack entered the room, his clothes slightly dirtied with black stains.

"Zack, I see you're finished," Utonium said. "So, how's the progress with our little... 'project'?"

"I removed the device, just as you instructed, Professor," Zack answered, "which now leaves plenty of room for modification. I'm sure that by the time we're done, the girls will be very delighted."

"That's terrific! You were able to do it on your own? You're such a diligent worker, Zack!"

"Thank you for your compliments, Professor. I'm just doing everything in my power to relieve you of as much burden as I can." He looked at the machine that he and Ken were working on. "If I may ask, what is that machine?"

"It's the main unit for the chemical solution beam," Ken said. "Papa and I were trying to see if we could improve its effectiveness. There are still plenty of monsters in the city that we haven't been able to turn back to normal with our current version."

"While we're working on this, Zack," Utonium said, "could you run a routine examination on the city for any monster activity? It would be less trouble for the mayor if we could find any problems before he has to deal with them."

"Understood, Professor," Zack said as he seated himself in front of the surveillance monitors. He began skimming through multiple displays on the monitors, each of them coming from different cameras set up throughout the city. Everything seemed relatively calm. "Everything seems quiet, so far," Zack said as he switched to the next camera. When he did, however, the display showed nothing but static. "Something's wrong with the display... is the camera broken?" He switched to another camera that was supposed to be positioned nearby, but again, there was nothing but static. "Another malfunction? Something's not right here..."

"What is it, Zack?" Utonium asked as he and Ken gathered around him.

"Some of the cameras in the industrial district aren't responding. Either they're malfunctioning, or something, or someone, broke them. It seems very suspicious..." Suddenly, alarms began blaring across the lab. "What's that alarm?"

"A monster's been detected!" Ken said. "Zack, run a full scan of the city and find out where it's coming from!"

"Understood." Zero began hastily typing away at the computer. An overhead, birds-eye display of Tokyo City appeared on the monitor, and a small crosshair began moving across the map, stopping at various locations in the city. The crosshair finally stopped at a certain location that made Zack raise an eyebrow. "The scan shows the source is at the industrial district, the same place where the cameras are messing up."

"So it's more than just a coincidence," Utonium said. "But if there is a monster there, why hasn't anyone reported it yet?"

"Should we send the girls to investigate?"

"Good idea, Zack. Peach!"

"Powerpuff Z da-wan!" Peach shouted out.

* * *

As Powerpuff Z headed for the industrial district of Tokyo City, they thought back on what the Professor and the others told them.

* * *

Earlier...

"Are you sure it's a monster?" Momoko asked Zack through her compact.

"We're not entirely sure," Zack said, "but the alarms here were sounding off." He moved aside to let Peach speak to her.

"I also smell a monster's aura, da-wan!" Peach added. "It's very strong, too! Almost as strong as a black gas monster!"

"Black gas monster?" Miyako asked. "There's only a few left in the city we haven't caught, yet."

"So which one is it?" Kaoru asked. "Bell? Sedusa? Rowdyruff Z?"

"We don't know," Zack replied putting himself back on the display. "All the surveillance cameras in that area are malfunctioning, and there have been no reports from anyone there."

* * *

"A monster that's trying to hide it's identity?" Blossom asked. "What kind of monster would go through that kind of trouble?"

"Maybe the monster doesn't want anyone to know its identity," Bubbles guessed.

"Well then, we'll just have to find out by meeting them face to face!" Buttercup said. When they reached the industrial district, everything seemed to be fine. The streets were quiet, and the factories in the area were still operating normally.

"That's strange..." Blossom said, looking around. "Zack said the monster was supposed to be around here somewhere..." Suddenly, there was a loud explosion coming from one of the factories. The doors flew open, and swarms of workers came rushing out, screaming and panicking.

"I guess there's our answer right over there," Buttercup said. The girls headed down to the fleeing crowd, and stopped one of the workers.

"Powerpuff Z?" the worker said. "G, get out of my way! I gotta get out of here!"

"Calm down," Bubbles said. "We're here to help. What just happened?"

"H, he came out of nowhere! He just appeared, and starting destroying all the equipment! One of the workers tried asking him what he was doing, but he didn't say a word. He just kept attacking! If it continues, this whole factory could go up in flames! So, outta the way!" He pushed past the girls and ran off with the rest of the workers.

"He?" Bubbles asked. "The worker said it was a he, right?"

"It might be Rowdyruff Z, then!" Blossom said. Just then, there was another explosion from the factory. A large cloud of smoke came pouring out of the doorway, and a single silhouette appeared, hiding itself in the smoke. "Stop right there!" Blossom shouted at the figure. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z are here!"

"We know it's you, Rowdyruff Z!" Buttercup said. "So just come out and show yourselves!" The figure in the smoke didn't move an inch. The girls faced off against it for a minute or two, waiting to see who would make the first move. Then, without a word, the figure stepped forward, slowly emerging from the cloud of smoke that was still pouring out of the factory. What the girls saw shocked them beyond all reason.

"No way..." Buttercup said.

"It can't be..." Bubbles added.

"Impossible...!" Blossom seemed the most shocked of the three. Standing before them was a man, clad in red armor, with a large yellow cape extending from the back of his head. The man was wearing some sort of helmet, with a white mouthpiece and a blue dome covering the top of his head, and a pair of yellow eyes glowing underneath the mask. Aside from his head, the man looked exactly like Zero, down to the last detail.

"Girls?" Utonium's voice came in through their compacts. "What is it, girls? What's going on?"

"Professor!" Blossom said, quickly pulling out her compact and opening it up. "We found the monster! It's... it's... look!" She turned the compact towards the monster, and the Professor gasped.

"Th, there's no way...! It's not possible! But there he is! It's...!"

"Hold on!" Bubbles interrupted. "We don't know that for sure!"

"Hey, you!" Buttercup yelled at the Zero look-alike. "Who are you supposed to be?" The man quietly glared at Buttercup, unresponsive. "Hey, say something, already!"

"…" The monster remained silent, then, its yellow eyes began to glow. "My name..." it said in a deep, echoing tone, "...is Zero." Everyone couldn't believe the monster's response.

"L, liar!" Blossom yelled at the monster. "There's no way you can be Zero!" She looked back at her compact. "Professor, is Zack in the lab?"

"Yes, he's right here!" Utonium went off-screen, and pushed Zack out in front for her to see.

"Blossom?" Zack looked at her. "What's wrong? Why do you look so distressed?"

"See for yourself!" Blossom pointed the compact at the monster, and Zero's eyes widened at what he saw. "I, impossible...!"

"This monster said that his name is Zero!"

"Impossible!" Zack shouted. "Because, Zero is... Zero is supposed to be...!"

"This isn't very funny, you know!" Buttercup yelled at the monster. "Now tell us who you really are!"

"...My name... is Zero," the monster returned the exact same response.

"Don't mess with us!!"

"Maybe it's a faker?" Bubbles theorized. "What if it's just someone trying to commit crimes to place the blame on Zero?"

"...You three..." the Zero impersonator pointed at the girls with his right hand. His arm began glowing, and it transformed into a blade, exactly like the original Zero. "...are my enemy!" Without warning, he charged straight at them, swinging his blade. The girls were forced to split up to dodge the attack.

"Impostor or not," Buttercup said, "he needs to be stopped!"

* * *

As Zack and the others watched the battle unfold from the lab, they all seemed extremely confused.

"He looks like Zero..." Ken said. "He even fights like him..."

"But that's... impossible..." Zack lost all feeling in his legs, and nearly dropped to the ground. The Professor and the others caught him before he did, though.

"Zack, snap out of it!" Utonium said to him.

"Get a hold of yourself, da-wan!" Peach barked.

"This has to be some sort of joke..." Zack said, his eyes not looking away from the monitor. "I just... I'm at a loss for words..."

"Zack," the Professor asked him, "try to remember. Could it be that you might have created another black gas monster back then...?"

"No... it's impossible. There were only seven canisters of black gas. There were only seven monsters, I'm absolutely sure of it!" Zack pounded his fist on the ground. "Dammit! How could something like this have happened!?"

"Zack..."

* * *

"Swing Sonic!" Buttercup unleashed her attack on the Zero imposter. Just before it reached him, however, he suddenly vanished. "Huh? Where did he---" He then reappeared right behind her, slamming his elbow into her back, sending her falling to the ground below.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles cried out. "Balloon Catcher!" She shot out a large bubble from her wand. It landed on the ground directly beneath Buttercup, cushioning her impact.

"Why are you doing this!?" Blossom asked, lashing her yo-yo out at Zero repeatedly. "What could you possibly gain by posing as Zero!?"

"…" Zero was unresponsive as he deflected each of her attacks with his blade. "I am no impostor!" He suddenly shouted back at her. "I _am_ Zero!!" He charged towards Blossom, his blade raised and ready to attack. Just before he reached her, however, he suddenly stopped. His blade vanished, and he started clutching his head. "Ergh...! No...! What's... happening... to me? Why now?" He said to himself, writhing in pain.

"What's going on?" Blossom looked at Zero.

"Ergh..." Zero stopped cringing, and stood upright. "We... will settle this some other day... Powerpuff Girls Z." In an instant, Zero vanished from sight. The girls looked around, but there was no sign of him.

"What was that all about?" Buttercup asked.

"He looked like he was in pain of some sort," said Bubbles.

"…" Blossom didn't know what to say about it. "...We should head back to the lab. Maybe the Professor, or Zack, could tell us something." The girls then flew off, leaving the scene.

* * *

In an unknown location, the Zero impersonator reappeared, dropping to his knees.

"Not... enough... power..." he grunted to himself. "Must regain... full strength..." He crawled over to a strange machine that had a cluster of cables extending from it. He took several of the cables in his hand, and attached them to his body. "Commence... recharging sequence." The machine began to hum, and the cables sparked with electricity as Zero remained motionless.


	18. Chapter 16

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 1****6:** Fatal Attraction! Zero and Sedusa!?

It was a cold and breezy night in Tokyo City. Somewhere in the slums, the monster Sedusa was wandering down the alleyways, as if she were a lost kitten.

"I've been free all this time..." she said to herself, "and yet, something doesn't feel right. It's like, something is missing... something like, Sou---" Sedusa shook her head. "No! Forget that idiot Souichirou! Let him have his _precious_ Sakurako! He doesn't need me, and I don't need him! I don't need anyone!" Her shouting echoed down the empty alley. She sat on the ground and curled up into a fetal position. "And yet I feel lonely... so lonely..." Suddenly, Sedusa's head began to pulsate with pain, causing her to clutch her head. "Wh, what is this pain? What's happening... to me...?" She then lost consciousness and collapsed where she sat. Shortly afterwards, a dark figure approached, its shadow casting over her body.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Utonium's lab, the Professor, Ken, Zack, and the girls were all discussing the incident involving the masked Zero the girls fought the other day.

"Are you absolutely sure you don't know anything about who that other Zero might be?" Utonium asked Zack.

"I'm sure," Zack replied. "I'm in the dark as much as the rest of you."

"Could it be there was another test subject other than you involved in the Zero Project?" Ken asked.

"I don't believe so. To the best of my knowledge, and according to Sophia, if memory serves, I was the only one they experimented on."

"Sophia?" Utonium seemed intrigued by the mention of that name.

"Sophia?" Momoko asked. '_That's a woman's name..._' she thought.

"Her full name was Dr. Sophia Nate," Zack explained.

"You mean, _the_ Sophia Nate!?" the Professor was shocked.

"Who is Sophia?" Momoko asked.

"Dr. Sophia Nate, back in her day, was one of the lead authorities in the field of cybernetics, and the founder of the research into man-machine interfaces. She was a brilliant scientist, from what I've heard, with high morals. To think that she could've been involved in the Zero Project..."

"It's not like that," Zack said. "I remember... back when I was first brought to that lab, she told me that she was being forced to perform those experiments on me. The head researcher threatened to have her killed if she didn't comply. I didn't want that to happen, so I urged her to continue her work... to continue experimenting on me."

"Zack, you...?"

"Zack," Momoko asked, "this Sophia, is she...?"

"...She was the one I told you about before, Momoko," Zack said, looking down. "She was the important person I promised to protect, but could not. Because of those selfish scientists, she suffered and paid the ultimate price. That was when I... Zero, began to despise evil people."

"Zack..."

* * *

When Sedusa regained consciousness, she found herself in a very unfamiliar place. She looked around, but the place was dark, making it difficult to see anything.

"Where, where am I?" she asked herself. "What happened to me?"

"You have awakened," came a strange voice from the shadows. "That is good... "

"Who's there?" Sedusa jumped to her feet. "Come out and show yourself!" A figure emerged from the shadows, and Sedusa recognized the shape. "Hoou..." she said with a clever little smile crossing her face. "We meet again, little man..." she said to the masked Zero in a provacative tone. "Why wear that mask? Are you shy, too embarrassed to look at cute, little Sedusa?"

"...I did not retrieve you from the city slums to converse," he responded.

"Hmph! You sure don't know how to treat a lady! Maybe I should teach you... the hard way!" Sedusa charged at Zero, ready to strike him with her claw-like nails, but just before she could reach him, the pulsating pain in her head returned. She stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. "Ergh...! Not again! What is happening to me!?"

"That is why I brought you here..." Zero said, approaching her, and kneeling down in front of her. "Because..." He placed his hand under her chin and lifted up her face so she could see him. "...you need help, and so do I. We need each other, you see."

"Wh, wha...?" As Sedusa stared into Zero's glowing yellow eyes, her pain began to fade, and a strange sensation came over her. '_This feeling..._' she thought, '_...I've felt it before..._'

"I know what ails you," Zero continued, "and I can help relieve your pain. But only if you do something for me, as well..."

* * *

"It seems we only have one option at the moment," Professor Utonium said. "Powerpuff Z will continue their duties as usual, while Zack and myself try to find any kind of information related to the Zero Project. If, by chance, girls, you run into that other Zero again, your top priority will be not to defeat him, but to at least unmask him, to discover his true identity."

"Okay, Professor," the girls said. "You can count on us!" Just then, the mayor called in on the emergency monitor.

"Professor!" the mayor said. "We have a situation!"

"What is it, mayor?" Utonium asked.

"There have been numerous reports of Sedusa being sighted, making her way across the city!"

"Sedusa!?"

"We don't know what she's up to, but I'm sure it must be no good!"

"We'll look into the matter right away!" Utonium turned to the girls. "You heard him! Follow Sedusa, find out where she's headed, and what she's planning to do!"

"Right!" the girls headed outside to transform.

"Zack," Utonium said just as the girls left. "Come with me. We have some important work to finish."

"You mean the repairs?" Zack asked. "Of course, Professor. Lead the way."

* * *

The girls raced across Tokyo City, hoping to catch up with Sedusa before they lose their chance.

"I don't see her," Bubbles said. "And we're about to leave Tokyo City."

"Were we too slow?" Buttercup asked.

"Wait!" Blossom said, pointing down at the street below. "There she is!" Blossom was correct. Sedusa was rushing down the street, leaping on top of any vehicles in her way. Some of the vehicles tried swerving out of the way, causing numerous accidents and crashes.

"She's making a mess down there! We gotta stop her!" Buttercup said, ready to rush in.

"Wait!" Bubbles interrupted. "Remember what the Professor said. We need to find out where she's going." The girls continued to follow her making sure not to be seen.

When Sedusa finally stopped running, she was at a familiar location. It was a small clearing in the forest near Tokyo City. The grass and surrounding trees were withered up. Sedusa approached a small hole at the center of the clearing, and jumped in.

"That place...!" Blossom gasped.

"That's where Zero's hideout used to be," Buttercup said. "Why would Sedusa bother coming all the way out here?" The girls quickly descended, and quietly followed her in.

* * *

Inside the ruined lab, Sedusa scrounged through the remains of all the wrecked machines.

"The parts must be here somewhere..." Sedusa muttered, as she walked over to the remains of the machine that created the black canisters. She tore it open, and looked inside, pulling out anything that wasn't broken or melted from the fire that destroyed the place. "Are these what he wanted...?"

* * *

Earlier...

"What are you talking about?" Sedusa asked Zero. "What, exactly, is happening to me?"

"You were separated from your host body because of a certain substance," Zero explained to her. "Do you remember?"

"A certain substance... the black gas?"

"Correct. The black gas is the only thing maintaing your physical form, and now, its power is starting to fade. If nothing is done, it will disappear, and without your host body, you will fade away into nothingness, never to be seen again..."

"No... no!" Sedusa began to tremble. "I don't want to disappear! I don't want to die!"

"Relax, my dear... I told you, I know how to solve your problem... but first, you must perform a task for me."

"What? I'll do anything, just please, hurry and tell me!"

"There is an abandoned laboratory hidden on the outskirts of Tokyo City. Inside that laboratory, there is a certain machine. I need you to bring me as many parts from that machine as you can. Only then, can I give you what you desire..."

* * *

"What I desire..." Sedusa repeated to herself.

"Stop right there!" shouted three voices. Sedusa turned around, and saw Powerpuff Z, blocking off the entrance. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"You three again...!" Sedusa growled.

"This door's the only way out, Sedusa!" Blossom said. "If you want to get out, you're going to answer a few questions!"

"I don't have time to waste with you!" Sedusa said, lashing out with her tangled locks like a set of whips. The girls jumped back to avoid the attack. "Get out of my way!" Sedusa rushed at the girls in desperation, kicking them aside and running out the exit.

"She's getting away!" Buttercup said. "Hurry, after her!" The girls raced out of the ruined lab, chasing after Sedusa.

* * *

Sedusa leapt out of the hatch leading to the outside, carrying the parts from the canister machine. She dashed off without hesitation. Shortly afterwards, the girls flew out of the hole one by one, and continued to pursue her.

"Why were you in there, Sedusa!?" Blossom shouted at her.

"What are you planning to do with those parts?" Bubbles also shouted out at her.

"That's none of your business!" Sedusa yelled back. "Just leave me alone! Get away from me!" The distance between her and the girls was slowly closing.

"Wrong answer, Sedusa!" Buttercup said, pulling out her hammer. "Graviton Drive!" She slammed the hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave at Sedusa. When it caught up with her, the ground underneath gave way, trapping her in the crumbled earth and making her drop the machine parts.

"Balloon Catcher!" Bubbles swung her wand, and caught the parts in a large bubble.

"Okay, Sedusa," Blossom said as the girls surrounded her. "We want some answers! Why were you in that lab, and what are you doing with those parts?"

"No... no!" Sedusa shouted. "I can't get caught! Not here! Not when I was so close...! I don't have any time left!"

"Time?" Bubbles asked. "Time for what?" Before she could get an answer, there ws a sudden, yet powerful, gust of wind, Suddenly, a red blur rushed in, striking all three girls and knocking them to the ground. The blur stopped in front of Sedusa, revealing itself as Zero.

"You again?" Blossom said. The masked Zero said nothing as he burst the bubble containing the parts and pulled Sedusa out of the ground. In an instant, they both vanished, along with the machine parts.

"That was that masked Zero from before, wasn't it?" Buttercup asked as she helped the others to their feet.

"Was Sedusa working for him?" Bubbles asked. "Things aren't making any sense..."

"We need to tell Zack and the Professor right away," Blossom said. "If those two are working together, it can only mean bad news!" The girls flew off, heading back towards Tokyo City.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dark, unknown location, the masked Zero reappeared, holding the parts in one arm, Sedusa in the other.

"You..." Sedusa uttered, "you... saved me..."

"…" the masked Zero was quiet, releasing Sedusa. "...I was only there to retrieve the parts, in case you failed." He closely examined the parts, and his yellow eyes lit up. "Yes... these are exactly what I needed. You have done well, Sedusa..." He walked towards a large machine. He opened up a hatch, revealing a tangled mess of cables and assorted mechanical parts. He installed the salvaged pieces into the machine one at a time, and closed the hatch.

"I brought you the parts," Sedusa said, "now keep your end of the bargain, and help me with _my_ problem!"

"Patience. It will be ready very soon." The masked Zero approached a small control console, and pulled a lever on it. The large machine began to rumble, and a strange, churning sound began to echo throughout the room. There was a computer set up near the large machine. It began to spark with black electricity, and a message appeared on its monitor.

_**PROCESSING REQUEST...**_

Zero then walked over to the other side of the machine, where a large conveyor belt was extending out of it. Another hatch opened up, and rolling out onto the conveyor belt was a single canister... filled with black gas. He picked up the canister, turned to Sedusa, and tossed it to her. Sedusa caught the canister, and looked at it.

"This is...!" Sedusa recognized the shape of the canister, and the contents within it.

"As promised," the masked Zero replied. "Simply open the canister and absorb the contents, and your existence will be sustained." He turned around, and looked over his shoulder, back at her. "Our business is done, now. You may leave."

"What?" Sedusa seemed confused.

"My only concern was obtaining the parts. You have what you wanted from me, so now you may leave, and do whatever you please. It matters not to me." He started to walk away, leaving Sedusa with her canister.

"…" Sedusa was silent, staring at the canister, then looking up at Zero. She then began to approach Zero from behind. "Wait!" Zero stopped walking, not turning around.

"Are you still here?" he asked her. "I said you can do whatever you want, now."

"I... I want to stay here!" Sedusa ran up to Zero, and placed the canister on the floor. "I want to stay here and help you with whatever it is you're doing!"

"!" The masked Zero actually seemed surprised by her statement. He then chuckled to himself. "...Amusing... you say you wish to help me, and yet, you do not even know what I am planning..."

"That doesn't matter to me!" Sedusa walked up beside him, and wrapped her arms around his. "You saved me not once, but twice. For that, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, as long as you'll let me stay at your side... my darling Zero."

"...If that is your desire, then so be it. So long as you do not impede on my plans, you may stay."

"Really...? Mmm, you're too kind..." Sedusa snuggled with the masked Zero's arm, closing her eyes. '_This feeling... I remember it now... it was just like before... I want this feeling to last forever..._'

'_The first phase is complete, thanks to this woman,_' the masked Zero thought to himself. '_It will be some time until it is ready for the next phase, so until then..._' His eyes began to glow brightly. '_There are some... personal... issues I wish to deal with..._'


	19. Chapter 17

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 17: **Do You Love Me? Momoko and Zack's Confessions

Inside his hidden lair, the masked Zero was sitting atop a stack of metal crates, arranged into a makeshift throne. At his side, the monster Sedusa sat, leaning against him.

"So, Zero, darling..." Sedusa said in a smooth, sexy tone. "What exactly are you planning to do, anyway?"

"Not yet, Sedusa..." the masked Zero replied. "All things shall be revealed in due time." He was watching a large machine in front of him. The machine rumbled and shook, and along a conveyor belt sticking out of its side, the machine churned out canisters full of black gas, one at a time. As they reached the end of the conveyor, a large crane grabbed the canisters, and carried them off somewhere into the darkness of the chamber.

"With so many canisters, you must be planning something... big..." Sedusa said, grinning.

"Indeed. But it will be some time before we are ready to proceed to the next phase..." The masked Zero's eyes began glowing. "But we have all the time in the world, so long as this place remains hidden..."

* * *

"Excellent work today, Zack!" Professor Utonium said, giving him a pat on the back. "You always put your all into everything, and because of it, things around here are running smoother than they ever have."

"I'm just doing my job, Professor," Zack replied.

"And a fine job, it is! Keep up the good work! I'll be 'you-know-where' doing 'you-know-what', so keep an eye on things here until I get back." Utonium then headed off, leaving Zack to himself. Zack sat down on the sofa in the lobby, and let out a deep sigh.

"I know I'm doing this to make up for what I did in the past," Zack said to himself, "but even _I_ wish I could have at least one break from this nonstop work..." _Bing-bong!_ The laboratory doorbell rang. "That must be the girls." Zack got up and headed for the door. "Yes, coming!" he called out.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Zack!" the girls greeted him with smiles.

"Good to see you again, girls," Zack smiled back.

"Hm?" Miyako looked around. "Where's the Professor?"

"He... had something important to do again, and left me in charge."

"He's been doing a lot of 'important' things since you started working here," Kaoru said.

"The Professor is a busy man. With an extra hand around, he has more time to work on the projects he never had time for."

"You really work hard, Zack," Momoko said.

"So I'm told..." Zack sighed. "But even I have my limit. A part of me wishes I could take a break, but the other part says to keep working."

"So take a break, then! You deserve one, after all!"

"I'm sorry, Momoko, but I can't. I already told the Professor I'd keep an eye on the place today..." Zack walked off to perform his duties.

"Poor Zack..." Momoko said. "He works too hard for his own good..."

"Feeling sorry for your 'boyfriend', Momoko?" Kaoru snickered.

"I, it's not like that! We're just really close friends, that's all!"

"Sounds familiar... doesn't it, Miyako?"

"Wha? What do you mean?" Miyako asked Kaoru.

"You know, about you and Takaaki..."

"I, it's not like that! We're just really close friends, that's all!" Miyako repeated the exact same line as Momoko.

"See? Told ya!"

"A-anyway... Momoko, I've noticed that you've changed a lot since you first met Zack."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Momoko asked.

"You act a lot more mature every time he's around you, like you're trying to show him that you're not like a little kid."

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed. "I wonder what he would think if he saw how you act normally..."

"What is that supposed to mean!?" Momoko asked. "I just... it's just that, I..." Momoko started trailing off, and her face turned a bright red.

"Momoko..." Miyako said, "are you...? Do you... _love_ Zack?"

"…" Momoko didn't make a sound, her face burning up.

"It's pretty obvious," Kaoru said to Miyako. "Just look at her face. She's so red, her head looks like a giant cherry!"

"Kaoru, I think that's enough poking fun at her," Miyako said. She turned back to Momoko. "Momoko, have you told Zack how you really feel about him?" Momoko shook her head. "Has he ever told you how he feels about you?" She shook her head again.

"The only thing he said," Momoko said, "was that I was an important person to him. He never said if he likes me, or... or... you know..."

"Hmm..." Miyako began to hatch a plan in her clever little mind. "How about you both find out the truth, today?"

"Whaa!?" Momoko gasped, jumping back. "Mi, Miyako! I don't know, it seems a little... sudden... a-and besides, Zack said he has to work today!"

"Don't worry about that," Miyako smiled. "Kaoru and I can fix that, can't we, Kaoru?"

"Huh?" Kaoru looked at Miyako. "Why drag me into this?"

"Please, Kaoru, it's for Momoko. Zack is the only person who genuinely likes Momoko, _our_ Momoko, who's been up until now, rejected by every boy she ever asked to go on a date with her."

"Mi, Miyako... You didn't have to bring _that_ up..." Momoko cringed because she knew it was true. She's always crushing on the handsome and popular boys, but gets turned down by them every time. Miyako, and even Kaoru, get more love letters and offers for dates than she does.

"I guess you have a point there... okay, why not? Remember, Momoko: if this works, I'll make sure you owe me!"

"...I'm having my doubts right now..." Momoko mumbled to herself.

* * *

"Zack," Miyako called out, as she and Kaoru approached him.

"Hm? What is it, Miyako?" Zack asked her.

"You look a little tired. Why don't you call it a day and get some rest?"

"I'm fine, thank you. I can still work. Besides, if I stop, who will keep an eye on the lab?"

"Kaoru and I can do that for you!" Miyako lightly nudged Kaoru. "Right, Kaoru?"

"Yeah," Kaoru said, "we can handle it?"

"Are you sure?" Zack asked them. "And just you two? What about Momoko?"

"Oh, yes, speaking of Momoko, she said she wanted to talk to you about something." Miyako gently pushed Zack, guiding him to the lobby. "She's waiting for you, so go on!" She opened the door to the lobby, and pushed Zack inside.

"But what abou---" Zack was interrupted by the door closing in his face. He turned around and saw Momoko sitting at the sofa, staring at him. Zack could feel his heartbeat steadily increase. "Um... hi," he said, blushing.

"Hi..." Momoko said back, equally nervous. Zack walked over to the sofa and took a seat next to Momoko.

"So... Miyako told me you had something you wanted to talk to me about..."

"Um... yeah... kind of..."

"Well, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Zack asked. They both looked at each other. One could see the anxiety on the other's face, but neither wanted to say anything about it.

"Zack, I..." Momoko started fidgeting, unable to keep her legs still, and pressing her fingers together. "I just... wanted to ask you..."

"Yes...?"

"If you wanted to... go..."

"Go... where?"

"G-go... on a... d, d, d---"

"Go on a...?"

"...Would you like to go on a date with me!?" Momoko suddenly burst out. The room became dead silent. Momoko's face turned red all over. '_Real smooth way of putting it, Momoko..._' she thought.

"A... date?" Zack looked at Momoko. His heartbeat began to speed up even more, and he began to sweat. "You mean, like... right now?" Momoko simply nodded. "...I, I don't know... this is a little sudden... and you sound a little hesitant. Is this really what you want to do? Or did the others pressure you into this?"

"No, they didn't..." Momoko shook her head. "I... I want to do this."

"…" Zack was quiet for what seemed to be for Momoko hours, but in reality, was only about ten seconds. "...If it's what you really want... okay."

"R-really?"

"Sure... did you have any place in particular you wanted to go?"

"N-not really... maybe just... go on a walk together?"

"How about... the park?" Zack suggested. "I hear there's a great viewof the river from the top of the hill there."

"O-okay... the park sounds good."

"Then, let's go, shall we?" Zack got up, holding his hand out to Momoko. She took hold of it, and he pulled her up to her feet, and, hand in hand, they both headed outside.

* * *

The sun was just about to vanish under the horizon when Momoko and Zack arrived at the park. They passed the large fountain in the center of the park, and ascended the stone steps leading up to the top of the hill. At the top was a single bench, almost as if it was beckoning for them to sit on it. They both sat down, a rather snug fit, actually, and watched as the city night lights turned on.

"It really is beautiful up here..." Zack said, looking down at the river. The city lights reflected off the surface like a perfect mirror, showing how calm the waters were.

"Oh, look!" Momoko said, pointing up at the sky. They looked up, and saw the first stars beginning to appear in the night sky. Amongst all the stars was also a bright, full moon. "The moon is so beautiful..." She gazed at it for a moment, and suddenly started to giggle a little.

"Hm?" Zack looked confused. "What is it? What's so funny?"

"I still remember one time, me, Bubbles, and Buttercup tried to race to the moon in a childish race to see who should be the leader of Powerpuff Z, and we ended up splitting the moon in half!"

"In half!?" Zack looked surprised, then looked at the moon. "But, it looks fine to me..."

"We did fix it, eventually, but you wouldn't believe the how much trouble we got in because of it!"

"I can imagine..." They both started giggling together. Suddenly, Zack felt Momoko leaning on him, and looked at her. "Momoko...? Is something wrong?"

"Zack..." Momoko looked right into his eyes. "Did... did you like Sophia? You know, the person you were talking about before?"

"Huh? Mmm..." Zack closed his eyes, thinking about it. "...Yes, I did. She was a very kind and caring person, putting my own safety and welfare before her own. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be here today, talking with you... If you had met her yourself, you'd probably agree."

"I see... did you... love Sophia?"

"L, l-love!?" Zack started blushing at the very thought of it. "I-I don't know about that, I mean---I only got to know her for so long... We only got to talk, we never went anywhere together, never went on dates, not like we are right now..." Zack looked at Momoko again. "Why the sudden interest? Are you trying to say something?"

"Zack..." Momoko closed her eyes, and snuggled up even closer to him. "I... I think... I'm... in love... with you."

"!!!" Zack was speechless.

"What about you, Zack? What do you think about me?"

"…" Zack was at a total loss for words. "Momoko. You... you're an important... no, that's not right..." He took his arm, and wrapped it around Momoko, resting his head over her's. "…Me, too... I think... I'm in love with you, too..."

"Do you really mean that, Zack?" Momoko asked him.

"Yes, I'm almost certain of it. I feel so happy when I'm with you, Momoko. And right now, when we're like this... I feel like I could die a happy man."

"Zack..." Momoko opened her eyes, looking up at him.

"Momoko..." Zack looked back at her, the distance between their faces slowly closing...

* * *

The next day, the girls all met at the same place they always meet before they go to the lab.

"Good morning,: Kaoru," Miyako said.

"Good morning, Miyako," Kaoru said back. They both looked at Momoko, who had an overly bright and cheerful smile on her face, and was humming a happy little tune to herself. "Looks like someone had a good last night."

"So, Momoko," Miyako asked, "how was your time with Zack last night?"

"Hmmhmm..." Momoko simply giggled. "It's, a, se, cret!" she said. "Let's just say, I don't think I'll ever crush on any other boys for the rest of my life!"


	20. Chapter 18

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 18: **The Fated Duel! Zero vs. Zero!

Inside his hidden lair, the masked Zero, along with Sedusa, continued to watch the machinery before them pump out black gas canisters, each one being carried off somewhere else in the chamber.

"Zero darling," Sedusa said, "you've made so many canisters already. There must be enough to turn every person in Tokyo City in monsters. Surely that's enough, isn't it?"

"If that were my goal, yes," the masked Zero replied, "but it is not. I require even more canisters for my plan."

"But how many more?" Sedusa still didn't understand what Zero's true intentions were.

"Until that machine is unable to make any more canisters." The masked Zero began to walk away from the machine. "Until then, there are some 'personal' matters I wish to deal with."

"Should I come with you, dearie?" Sedusa asked him.

"No. Your strength has not completely returned to you, yet. Stay here, and ensure that the machine continues to create canisters."

"Ohh, you're so cruel... leaving poor, little me all alone in this dark, dank place..." Sedusa teased. "...but I suppose that's what I like about you. Anyway, what sort of 'personal' matters are you talking about?"

"Nuisances," Zero replied. "Nuisances such as Powerpuff Z." His yellow eyes began to glow brightly. '_And also,_' he thought silently, '_that person..._'

* * *

"Good morning, everyone!" Momoko shouted as she, Miyako, and Kaoru entered the lab. Her voice echoed, and the entire room was dark. "Eh? What's going on here? Why are the lights off?"

"Professor! Ken!" Miyako called out.

"Hey! Peach! Zack! Where are you guys?" Kaoru shouted out.

"I've got a bad feeling about this... let's check the lobby." The girls quietly crept their way across the dark lab, and opened the lobby door. "Well, the door works, so it's not a power outage..." They continued to creep into the lobby, when suddenly, the lights flipped on. There were several loud popping noises, and confetti and streamers rained down from above.

"Eeeek!" the girls screamed, reacting to the sudden noises, holding on to each other.

"Surprise!" four voices shouted from behind the large sofa next to the big-screen television. Utonium, Ken, Peach, and Zack all emerged from behind the sofa. "Congratulations!"

"Professor! Ken! Peach! Zack!" the girls were surprised. "What's going on here!?"

"Don't you know what day this is?" Ken asked them.

"Umm... Thursday?" Momoko guessed.

"More important than that, da-wan!" Peach said.

"How important are we talking about, here?" Kaoru asked them.

"The most important thing to happen to Tokyo City," Utonium said, "the world..."

"...and most of all, you three!" Zack finished. The girls all looked at each other, trying to figure out what they were hinting at, but came up with nothing.

"Looks like you're having trouble, so I'll help you out," Utonium said, clearing his throat."On this day, exactly one year ago, a giant iceberg appeared in Tokyo City Bay, and was destroyed, releasing multiple clusters of light..."

"Ah!" Momoko gasped. "You mean today is...!"

"That's right," Ken said.

"Today is Powerpuff Z's first birthday, da-wan!" Peach yipped, jumping up and down.

"We've been planning this for a long time," Zack said. "A few days after I starting working here, to be exact."

"Powerpuff Z's birthday?" Miyako asked.

"That's what we said!" Ken replied. "This is day is all about you three!"

"Wow..." Kaoru said. "Has it already been a whole year since this all started? Time goes by so quickly..."

"We have something we want to show you," Zack said. "A very special present, from all of us, to you! It's waiting outside, so come on!" They all then headed out the back door, to the large, open lot behind the lab.

* * *

Outside, there was an enormous object, with a canvas cloth completely draped over it, a rope dangling on one end.

"It's huge!" Kaoru gasped.

"What is it!?" Momoko asked.

"You've probably noticed that the Professor was absent frequently," Zack said. "I told you that he was on important business, but in reality, he was working on this present!"

"It was no easy task, I'll tell you that," Utonium said. "I even had to ask Zack to help me a few times to make sure it was ready on time! And now... Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru, otherwise known as Hyper Blossom, Rolling Bubbles, and Powered Buttercup, we would like to present you with this gift, as a way of saying thank you for protecting this world from evil for an entire year! Zack, would like the honor of unveiling our gift?"

"I'd be honored, Professor," Zack answered, heading for the rope. He grabbed it with both hands, and tugged. However, the cloth drape didn't budge. "Hm?" Zack pulled the rope again, and still, nothing.

"What's wrong, Zack?" Utonium asked him.

"I think the rope's snagged on something," Zack said, pulling harder on the rope.

"What? Impossible! Let me see..." The Professor ran over to Zack and took the rope from him. He tugged and pulled at the rope, and again, the drape refused to move. "Ken! Peach! Give us a hand here!"

"Coming!" they said as they joined in. All four of them began pulling on the rope as hard as they could.

"Looks like they could use a hand," Kaoru said. "Come on, Miyako!" The two of them ran over to help, while Momoko was staring blankly into space, lost in thought about something...

* * *

"Zack..." Momoko opened her eyes, looking up at him.

"Momoko..." Zack looked back at her, the distance between their faces slowly closing. Just before they touched, though, Zack stopped.

"Zack? What's wrong?"

"It... this... just, doesn't feel right..." Zack looked away.

"What do you mean? I thought..."

"…I know that Miyako set this up, for us to be together like this," Zack said. "I know she also set up our other encounter in the lab. I admire her desire to help her friend, to help us, mend our relationship back together, but... it feels a little rushed... aggressive, almost... I feel like I've been forced into this situation."

"Then, what you said before... was that...?"

"…No, that was the truth. I _do_ love you, Momoko, it's just... I don't think I'm quite ready for our relationship to go this far, yet, and, I think, neither are you. Am I right...?"

"…" Momoko didn't really know what to say. She remembers trying to object to Miyako's plan to get Zack to even talk to her again, saying it seemed a little aggressive and forceful. "...Yes. You're right... I don't know if I'm ready for this, either..."

"It's okay," Zack said, hugging her gently. "Next time... when we're _both_ ready... I promise."

"Really...?" Momoko pulled herself away from Zack, and held out her pinky. "If you promise, then pinky swear you will!"

"Momoko..." Zack looked at her for a moment, then smiled and nodded. He held out his pinky, and their fingers interlocked.

"Now it's a promise!" Momoko smiled. "I'm holding you to it!"

* * *

"…moko? Hey, Momoko!" Kaoru shouted out at Momoko, making her snap out of her daydream. "What are you doing? Come over here and help us!" Momoko looked to see Zack pulling the rope, Utonium pulling Zack from behind, followed by Miyako, Kaoru, Ken, and Peach, still struggling with it.

"Ah! I'm coming!" Momoko said, getting behind Ken, and started to pull.

"This is the most stubborn rope I've ever seen!" Zack shouted, his face turning red from straining so hard. Suddenly, the cloth drape began to tear, until it was completely ripped in half. All eight of them fell backwards, landing on top of each other. They watched as the ripped drape fell to the ground, unveiling the girls' present. It was a giant robot, that looked very similar to Blossom.

"Well, there's your present," Zack said, helping everyone to their feet.

"That's...!" Miyako gasped.

"Ahh!" Momoko squealed. "Dynamo Z!" She dashed over to it, snuggling with its massive foot like it was a plushie.

"It was pretty beat up when you came back from your time-traveling that one time," the Professor explained. "So Zack and I worked to repair it and make it good as new!"

"That's so awesome!" Kaoru said. "This is the best present ever!"

"You think so, do you?" Zack asked. "Actually, this is only part one of the present! I'll let Ken and Peach tell you about the other half!"

"The time drives that were originally installed in Dynamo Z were very damaged when you brought it back," Ken said. "So damaged, in fact, that it was impossible to repair it. We just didn't have the resources available to repair it, so we removed it."

"Huh? How is that supposed to be a present?"

"Because now, there's room to add new things to it, da-wan!" Peach said. "When you three first saw Dynamo Z, you thought it was a fighting robot, so now, if you want, we can design it to fight!"

"Really!?" Momoko asked. "That would be the greatest thing, _ever_!"

"We'll let you three decide on what kind of new features should be installed," Utonium said. "We'll be in the lab if you need us." With that, he, Ken, Peach, and Zack headed back inside as the girls giggled to eachother with excitement.

* * *

Inside the lab, the Professor and the others all sat down at the large sofa together.

"They really seem to enjoy their present," Zack said cheerfully.

"It's all thanks to you, Zack," Utonium said, patting him on the back. "Without your help, it would never have been ready in time for today."

"You really have done so much to help us and the girls out since you came here," Ken said. "And through that, you've also been helping Tokyo City as a whole. You said you wanted to make up for all the things you had done before, and I think you have."

"You really think so?" Zack asked Ken. "…Thank you for your support, everyone, but my debt to this city won't be fully repaid until I help fix _all _the problems I caused... there's still the powered up Rowdyruff Boys Z, Bell..."

"...Sedusa," Utonium continued for him, "and even more disturbing... the masked Zero the girls fought. Who in the world is that other Zero, why would Sedusa be helping him, and what could they possibly have wanted with salvaged parts from the destroyed lab?"

"I'm not sure..." Zack said. "I tried to ask the girls if they noticed anything significant about the parts Sedusa stole, but they didn't know. They were also surprised to see that other Zero appear to protect Sedusa, as well. I have a very bad feeling about all of this..." Just then, the laboratory alarms began to go off. Zack sprung out of his seat, and rushed over to the emergency monitor.

"Big trouble!" the mayor said on the other end. "We have a horrible situation here!"

"Calm down, Mr. Mayor," Zack said. "What seems to be the problem?"

"He's back! He's causing havoc right below us as we speak! _Ahhh_!" The mayor screamed, pulling at his hair and running off-screen. Miss Bellum approached the monitor.

"Please forgive the mayor," Miss Bellum said calmly. "He is still slightly traumatized the last time he was attacked."

"What did the mayor mean by 'he's back'?" Zack asked. "Who's attacking right now?"

"…Zero." Zack's eyes widened at Miss Bellum's answer. "Zero is down below this very building at ground level, senselessly destroying every that comes across him. All attempts to make contact with him have failed. He just keeps attacking without a word."

"I see..." Zack said. "Try to keep the damage contained to that area. I'll make sure Powerpuff Z gets there as quickly as possible!" He turned around and shouted towards the lobby. "Peach! Call the girls, now!"

"Powerpuff Z, da-wan!" Peach cried out.

* * *

At that time, the girls were still outside, discussing what kind of things they wanted the new and improved Dynamo Z to do.

"It's gotta do flashy kung-fu moves!" Momoko said, making overdramatic poses.

"No, it should have all kinds of weapons!" Kaoru said. "Like swords, missiles, lasers..."

"Does it have to be for fighting?" Miyako asked them. Just then, their compacts started glowing. They immediately ran into the lab to find out what the situation was.

"What is it?" the girls asked the Professor as they rushed in.

"It's him..." Utonium said. "It's Zero."

* * *

"Run for your lives!" a Tokyo City citizen screamed. "He's gone mad, I tell you, _mad_!!" People were running away from a large cluster of explosions, pushing each other out of the way, making it even harder for them to flee. At the source of the explosions, standing atop a pile of burning cars, the masked Zero stood, looking towards the sky.

"They still haven't arrived," the masked Zero said to himself. "Perhaps it will take more than just vandalism to draw them out..." Just then, he noticed three streaks of colored light approaching. "Speak of the devil..." The girls landed in front of him.

"Fight Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"I've been waiting for you, Powerpuff Girls Z..." The masked Zero's eyes began to light up.

"Well, you can stop waiting!" Buttercup yelled at him. "And now you can start getting ready for the hurt we're gonna put on you!"

"Hmhmhmhm...." the masked Zero chuckled, which turned into laughter. "Ahahahahahah! Your optimism is truly amusing! You actually believe you have a remote chance of winning? The last time we met was a fluke, and it shall not happen again!" He brandished his blade. "Let us see who is the strongest!" He charged at the girls, swinging his blade at them.

"Scatter!" Blossom said as they flew off in different directions. "He can attack only one of us in this position, and the other two can catch him off-guard."

"Hmhmhmhm..." Zero chuckled again. "I only need one..." He launched himself into the air, straight towards Blossom. He swung his sword again, and Blossom flew to the side to avoid it. Zero turned to face her, and continued to attack her.

"Blossom!" Buttercup said. "Hang on! We're coming!" She and Bubbles rushed towards Zero from behind, trying to catch him off-guard. "Hurricane Lutz!"

"Bubble Champagne!" As they attacked, Zero turned around, and vanished in an instant.

"Wh, where did he---" Buttercup was cut off when Zero reappeared just inches away from her. He took a swift left hook right into her stomach, knocking her up into the air, and vanished again.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles called out to her. Just then, Zero appeared again, this time behind Bubbles. He somersaulted and delivered a hard drop-kick to her back, sending her plummeting to the ground below.

"Bubbles! Buttercup!" Blossom cried out. She tried to go help them, but was stopped when Zero rushed right in front of her. "Zero...!"

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" the masked Zero asked her. "We're just getting started..."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the lab, the Professor and the others were watching the fight unfolding before their eyes.

"He's much stronger than the girls," Utonium said, "and he can vanish, too!?"

"No, not vanish," Zack said. "He's moving at an inhuman speed. So fast, the human eye can't keep track. But I can see his movements clearly." As the battle continued, Ken noticed something.

"Do you see what I see?" Ken asked them.

"What is it, Ken?" Utonium asked.

"That Zero seems to be attacking Blossom more than the others... like he's specifically targeting her for some reason..."

"!" Zack's eyes widened when Ken mentioned this fact. He watched the monitors, and also noticed that the masked Zero was constantly attacking Blossom.

* * *

"What's wrong?" the masked Zero asked Blossom. "Aren't you going to fight back? I'm hardly breaking a sweat!" Blossom didn't even time to respond because she was too busy dodging Zero's relentless assault.

'_I can't keep dodging him forever,_' Blossom thought. '_I need to get some distance between us!_' After dodging one more swing, she turned around and tried to fly away.

"Bad move!" Zero shouted as he swung his blade again. It barely reached her, slicing open the back of her jacket.

* * *

"Ahh!" Utonium gasped. "That attack...!"

"Wh, what is it, Professor?" Zack asked. "What about that attack?"

"...Powerpuff Z's uniforms are for more than just show," Utonium explained. "I ran various tests on their clothes before, and discovered that they were highly resistant to damage and environmental conditions. If that Zero's attack could cut through Blossom's jacket... he must be truly powerful, indeed."

"Papa!" Ken said. "If this continues, Blossom and the girls will...!"

"Momoko..." Zack muttered to himself as he stared at the monitor. He clenched his fist, turned around, and started walking away.

"Zack?" Utonium called out to him. "What are you doing?"

"…I'm going," Zack said.

"You mean... out there!?"

"I made a promise to myself, that I would never use this accursed power again..." Zack took off his lab coat, and tossed it away. "But now... I have no other choice." His body began to glow, and his shape slightly morphed.

"Zack..."

* * *

Blossom was slammed into the pavement by the masked Zero's last attack. He slowly descended, landing in front of her.

"Get away from her, you monster!" Buttercup said as she and Bubbles tried again to attack him.

"Begone, you nuisances!" Zero shouted at them, swinging his blade and creating shockwaves, which struck the two, knocking them away again. He turned his attention back to Blossom. "Now then... Blossom, is it? It's time for you..." He raised his blade in the air. "...to die." As he brought his blade down, Blossom closed her eyes, anticipating her end.

_**CLANG!**_

Blossom heard a loud noise, and noticed she was still alive, and opened her eyes to see why. Standing next to her was Zack, clad in his red body armor, blocking the masked Zero's blade with his own.

"Zack!" Blossom was shocked to see him. "What are you...!"

"Get away from here, Blossom!" Zack said to her. "You're too hurt to keep fighting! I'll handle it from here!" Zack pushed hard against the masked Zero, forcing him to jump away.

"Blossom!" Bubbles and Buttercup rushed over and picked her up, then noticed Zack. "Zack! You're...!"

"Stay back, you two..." Zack said. "Get Blossom somewhere safe. I will deal with this matter myself."

"Zack..." They did as he said, carrying Blossom away. Bubbles turned around to look at Zack again.

"Please be careful, Zack!" Bubbles said.

"If you push yourself too hard, you're gonna have to answer to me!" Buttercup shouted to him as they continued flying away.

"I'll keep that in mind..." Zack said, smiling. He turned to the masked Zero.

"So..." the masked Zero said, "the knight in shining armor finally came to rescue his precious maiden. How touching..."

"You did this just to draw _me _out?" Zack asked. "You son of a...!"

"Yes... that look on your face... such anger, such hatred... it's breathtaking."

"I'm only going to ask you once. Who _are_ you?"

"And my answer has not changed since the last time I was asked that. I... am... Zero." The two faced off, readying their blades, and glaring at each other intensely.


	21. Chapter 19

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 19:** A Shield to Protect All! Zack's Farewell?

In the battle-scarred streets of Tokyo City, beneath the city hall building and the mayor's office, Zack, clad in his red body armor, stared down against his masked impersonator.

"Why?" Zack asked the masked Zero. "Why go through this trouble just to draw me out?"

"Because..." the masked Zero responded, "we have a score to settle with each other..."

"What!? What are you talking about? I've never met you before! I don't even know who the hell you are!"

"…How sad... even after all this time, you still haven't figured it out, have you?"

"What?"

"Ignorant fool... maybe if you can defeat me, I'll tell you more..."

Why you...!" Zack lunged at the masked Zero, ready to strike.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bubbles and Buttercup were carrying an injured Blossom away from the battle. They hid behind one of the buildings not too far away, and gently placed Blossom on the ground, propping her up against the wall.

"Blossom, are you okay?" Bubbles asked her.

"I think so..." Blossom managed to get out. She looked around. "Zack...? Where's Zack?"

"He's fighting that other Zero right now," Buttercup said.

"What? By himself? We gotta help him!" Blossom tried to stand up, but quickly fell back down.

"Not in that condition, you're not!"

"But Zack could be in trouble! If the three of us couldn't stop him, there's no way Zack can...!"

"Blossom..." Bubbles looked at her friend. "I think he knew the risk he was taking by stepping in like that. He did it to protect you."

"Zack..." Blossom struggled to stand back up, and started to stagger off.

"Where do you think you're going?" Buttercup asked her.

"I'm going back... I'm going to help Zack! He can't do it alone!"

"Blossom, you can't!" Bubbles ran over to her, and grabbed her shoulder. "...Not alone, anyway."

"Bubbles..."

* * *

At that time, the fight between Zack and Zero continued. Sparks flew as they exchanged blows with each other. Zero dropped down and tripped Zack with a sweep kick, then leapt up in the air, bringing down his blade. Zack quickly rolled out of the way and sprang back to his feet, swinging his sword at Zero. Before he made contact, though, Zero vanished, dodging with his enhanced speed. He reappeared, several meters away from Zack, as they both glared at each other.

"Not bad..." the masked Zero said. "I would've expected nothing less from you..."

"Enough of this!" Zack yelled at him. "I want answers, _now_! Why do you want to fight me?"

"Hmph. Since you've managed to survive for this long, I guess I can tell you... to put it simply, I can't stand your existence."

"!"

"If you're still wondering who I am... why don't you try unmasking me and find out?"

"…" As Zack calculated his next move, the girls approached the battlefield, Blossom being supported by the other two.

"Zack!" Blossom called out to him. Zack turned around and saw them coming.

"Blossom!?" Zack was shocked to see them return. "I told you to get away from here!"

"An opening!" Zero said, charging at Zack. Zack turned back around in time, blocking Zero's blade with his own. Zero continued to press harder, slowly forcing Zack backwards. "That is one of the reasons I can't stand you," Zero said, glaring at Zack with his yellow eyes. "Your concern for one little girl, willing to put your life on the line just for her... it _disgusts_ me!"

"And you..." Zack said back, "using that fact as an exploit... attacking her just to lure me out here..." Zack pushed back, knocking back Zero's blade. He lunged at Zero, bringing his blade down. "_That_ is what _disgusts me_!!" he shouted, slashing Zero straight down the middle of his mask. The left half of Zero's mask began to crack, and slowly crumbled apart, the pieces falling to the ground. "Now, let's see who you really---" Zack stopped when he finally saw the face hidden behind the mask. Underneath the mask was an arrangement of wires and circuits. His eye's 'pupil' adjusted back and forth, like a camera lens. His mouth was nothing but a small speaker. Undereath the blue dome atop his head was a cluster of mechanical parts. The masked Zero was, in reality, a robot.

What the!?" Buttercup gasped as the girls watched. "That other Zero's only a robot!?"

"And now my secret's out..." Zero said. "Heheheheheh... Ahahahahahahah!" He began to laugh hysterically. "Surprised? All this time you thought I was some human pretender, didn't you?"

"Impossible..." Zack said, stepping away from the robot Zero. "To create a perfect robotic replica of me, in such a small window of time..."

"I am no replica of you... My power and speed surpasses your own, which makes me your superior!"

"Ergh..." Zack gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "Now that I know who, or what, you are... now I want to know this: Who built you? Who is your creator?"

"Heheheheh..." Zero chuckled. "You still haven't figured it out? I thought you were smarter than that."

"What!?" Zero raised his left atm, pointing his finger into the air.

"My creator..." he said as he brought his arm down, pointing at Zack, "...is you!"

"Don't screw with me!" Zack yelled at Zero. "How could _I_ have created you? I would never do such a thing, even if I could!"

"Maybe not consciously, but the fact remains. I was born from you. A weakling like you created a superior being like me... I cannot stand that fact, another reason I despise your existence!" Suddenly, the broken fragments of Zero's mask began to dissipate, turning into a small cloud of black gas. It circled around Zero's head, and slowly, the broken mask reconstructed itself.

"Self-regeneration?" Zack gasped, his eyes widening. "Impossible..."

"It's starting to sink in, isn't it? And now..." Zero suddenly vanished. Zack looked around, unable to track his movements this time. Suddenly, Zero reappeared right in front of Zack, and thrust his blade forward. "…it ends." The sword pierced Zack's abdomen, and exited straight out his back.

"Zack!!" Blossom screamed as she and the other girls landed. Zack dropped to his knees, blood slowly leaking from his wound. His blade disappeared, unable to maintain its form.

"Hmhmhmhm..." Zero chuckled, "Foolish man... you fancied yourself a hero, a sword that would smite all evil, and yet, you cannot even defeat your own phantom! You are no hero... you are merely an insect!"

"Nnngh...!" Zack grunted. He coughed up blood, trembling from the intensity of his injury. "Not yet..." Suddenly, Zack grabbed Zero's blade, still stuck in his body. Although the blade cut into his hands, he continued to grip it tightly. "I'm not done yet!"

"What!?" Zero tried to pull his blade out of Zack, but he kept it in place. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"You're right..." Zack said. "I'm no hero... Maybe I can't be the sword that smites evil like yourself..." He looked up at Zero with a determined face. "But I can be the shield to protect those who can!" He rose to his feet and approached Zero, thrusting the blade further into his own body.

"Zack!!" Blossom cried out to him. "Stop! What are you doing!?"

"Making sure this ends... today!" Zack grabbed Zero in a bearhug, and turned around towards the girls. "Now, Powerpuff Girls Z, attack! While he's still immobilized! Finish him off!"

"What!?" Zero said. "This is what you were planning? You...!"

"What are you waiting for!?" Zack asked the girls. "I can't hold him here forever! Hurry and attack!"

"But Zack!" Bubbles said. "If we attack now, you'll be hit, too!"

"It's of no consequence to me..." Zack said. "But I won't allow this monster to escape again! Now attack!"

"No!!" Blossom shouted. "I can't do it! I can't hurt you on purpose, Zack!"

"Do it, Blossom!!" Zack yelled at her. "If you let this chance go to waste, I'll never forgive you for it!"

"!" Blossom gasped, looking at Zack. "…I understand..."

"Blossom...?" Buttercup looked at her. "Are you really going to...?"

"...Yes." Blossom struggled to to stand up straight on her own. "Let's go, Bubbles, Buttercup!"

"No!" Zero screamed. "I can't let it end here... not like this! Not because of _you_!!" Zero began to twist his arm, trying to pull away from Zack's grip again. His blade began to crack, and eventually shattered, freeing himself, and leaving the blade lodged into Zack's body. "I've achieved what I came here to do," he said. "I may be injured, but in the end, you have lost, Powerpuff Girls Z!" He instantly vanished.

"No!" Blossom shouted. "He got away!" She turned to Zack, who fell over on his side, the blade in his body dissipating into nothing. "Zack!!" Blossom rushed over to him, trying to help him up. "Hang on, Zack! Please! We'll get you back to the lab! I'm sure the Professor can fix you!" Blossom tried to pick Zack up, but she was still weakened from her injuries, and Zack was too heavy.

"Hold on, Blossom!" Buttercup said, as she and Bubbles came over to help her. Together, all three of them lifted Zack into the air, and flew back to the lab as quickly as they could.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Zero's hidden lair, Zero came staggering in, the blade on his right arm still broken.

"Zero!" Sedusa cried out, rushing to his side. "What happened to you, my darling? Who did this to you? It was Powerpuff Z, wasn't it?"

"No, it wasn't..." Zero grunted. "And this injury... is nothing. A canister... get me a canister, now!"

"Right away!" Sedusa ran over to the canister generator, and grabbed one of the black gas canisters off the conveyor belt. She ran back to Zero, placing it on the ground. "Here it is, darling..."

"Good... open it... quickly..." Sedusa did as she was told, pulling the lid off the canister. The black gas within began to envelop Zero's body. '_To think I almost lost to that insect..._' he thought. "_...unforgivable! But at least... that is one less nuisance to deal with..._'

* * *

It was quiet at Utonium's lab. Momoko, Miyako, Kaoru, Ken, and Peach all sat silently in the lobby, waiting for the Professor to come out of the other room.

"Zack, that idiot..." Kaoru grumbled, clenching her fists. "I told him not to push himself too far, and look what happened..." Just then, the Professor entered the room, not looking very happy.

"Papa..." Ken said, "Zack... is he...?"

"…" Utonium was quiet for a moment. "His injuries are very bad. He's on life support equipment at the moment, but even that won't help for much longer..."

"!" Momoko gasped, looking at the Professor. "…You have to do something!" she shouted, jumping out of her seat.

"Momoko...!" Miyako looked at her.

"You're the world's greatest genius! You have to be able to help Zack! You have to!"

"Momoko..." Utonium shook his head. "I know little to almost nothing about Zack's cybernetics... the only one who would know how to fix him is the one who implanted those parts, Sophia Nate, but she's been dead for over 20 years..."

"Zack...!" Momoko suddenly ran past the Professor and into the next room, shutting the door behind him.

"Momoko!"

"Wait, Professor," Miyako interrupted. "...Let her have some time alone..."

* * *

Inside the next room, Zack was laying on top of a table, hooked up to various equipment, pieces of his armor removed where the Professor tried to examine him. His breathing was very light. Momoko ran over to his side.

"Zack!" Momoko called out to him.

"...M, Momoko..." Zack barely managed to utter. "You're okay... Thank goodness..."

"Zack, please hang on! I'll find some way to help you, I promise!"

"Promises..." Zack closed his eyes, then looked straight up at the ceiling. "I'm such a terrible person..."

"What? What do you mean?"

"So many promises I've made in my life, and not a single one of them I've been able to keep... I promised to protect Sophia, but she is dead... I promised to free Tokyo City from evil, and only ended up waging a one-man crusade against it... I promised to protect you before, and I nearly killed you... I'm such a worthless person..."

"Don't say that, Zack!" Momoko wrapped her arms around him. "You're not worthless... just please, hang on..."

"Momoko... I already know... I'm not much longer for this world..."

"No...! Don't say that...!" Momoko started to cry, her voice wavering. "_Please, don't die..._"

"Momoko, please... don't cry." Zack slowly brought his hand to her face, wiping away her tears. "When I see you cry like that, I feel sad, too... and I don't want my last memories of you to be sad ones..."

"Zack... I promise... I'll make Zero pay for what he did to you!"

"No!" Zack snapped at her remark. "You mustn't... not with anger in your heart."

"But, Zack..."

"I remember... I made another promise to Sophia, just before she died... she told me not to fight out of anger... hatred only breeds more hatred. She wanted me to be the one who broke that cycle, but I broke that promise, too..." Zack looked at Momoko. "It sounds selfish of me, but I want to pass that promise on to you...

"Zack...?"

"Promise me, Momoko... if you fight Zero again, do not do it because you hate him... do it because it is the right thing to do. He must be stopped, but not at the expense of your emotions. I would hate to see what happened to me, happen to you as well..."

"…" Momoko was silent. "…Okay, Zack... I promise. For you..."

"Thank you, Momoko..." Zack smiled. "Come closer..." Momoko did as he said, and suddenly, he placed his hand behind her head, and pressed her even closer, until their lips touched. They stayed like that for several seconds, then Zack gently let go of Momoko. "At least... I was able to keep that promise to you..."

"Zack..." Momoko blushed.

"I want you to promise me one more thing..." Zack said. "Please... smile for me."

"But Zack, how can I...?"

"Please, Momoko. I want to see your smile, one last time..." Momoko stared into Zack's eyes, and slowly, she forced herself to smile, despite the sorrow welling up insdie. Zack smiled back. "When you smile..." Zack said, "...you look so much more beautiful. Now... I have no more regrets..." He looked up at the ceiling again. "Sophia... if we meet again, I hope that you will forgive me..." He slowly closed his eyes, still smiling. "Goodbye, Momoko... and remember... you promised..." Just as he finished speaking, his breathing stopped, his body was perfectly motionless.

"Zack?" Momoko looked at him, her tears beginning to return. "Zack..." She threw herself onto him, burying her face into his chest. "_ZACK!!!_" she screamed at the top of her voice, uncontrollably crying. The door slid open, and the others entered the room after hearing her scream.

"Momoko..." Miyako said, looking at her saddened friend.

"Zack..." Kaoru said, cringing, trying to keep a tear from escaping. Eventually, everyone in the room gathered around Momoko, holding her and joining her in her mourning.

* * *

Moments later, outside behind the lab, Momoko was kneeling before a small, marked grave, quietly praying. The inscription on the marker read:

_**HERE RESTS ZACK, A TRUE FRIEND.**_

_**MAY HIS SOUL FIND PEACE IN THE AFTERLIFE.**_

'_Zack..._' Momoko prayed. '_If you can hear me, right now... I'll never forget you... I will keep our promise... and I never had the chance to say it to you, but... I love you..._' Momoko stood up, wiping away the tears trickling down her face, staring at his grave.


	22. Chapter 20

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 20: **Heated Battle! Powerpuff and Rowdyruff!

Inside his hidden base, Zero sat in his scrapiron throne, with Sedusa caressing him at his side.

"Zero, my dear," Sedusa said, "are you going to be okay?"

"…In time, yes," Zero said. "The injuries I sustained were more... significant than I had initially assumed. I will be unable to act on my own for the time being..."

"This is all Powerpuff Z's fault!" Sedusa growled. "Just say the word, my dear, and I'll go out and tear them to pieces for you!"

"No, Sedusa," Zero raised his hand slightly, motioning for her to stop. "There is another way... we will simply find someone else to act on my behalf. There is no reason for either of us to soil our hands... yet."

"Mmm, the way you say that..." Sedusa smiled, snuggling closer with Zero, pressing her body onto his. "...makes me tingle with anticipation... but who are you going to get to do what you want them to do?"

"The answer to that question will become apparent very soon... when the time comes, I will know..."

"Whatever you say, darling... Now, about your poor boo-boos..." Sedusa whispered into Zero's 'ear'. "Maybe a little 'special' treatment is in order..."

"…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse in Tokyo City, the three ruffians, the Rowdyruff Boys, now known as Rowdyruff Z after being powered-up by Zero's black gas, were discussing what kind of things they should do with their newfound powers.

"Let's go spray graffiti all over town!" Boomer suggested. "We'll mark the whole city as our turf!"

"No way!" Butch objected. "That's small-time! Let's knock over a few stores and do some five-finger shopping!"

"That's what normal crooks do, you idiot!" Brick yelled at him. "We're _real_ monsters, now, and we gotta show Tokyo City that we're the _baddest_ of the bad! We gotta do something big, something they're never gonna forget!"

"Hmm..." The boys continued to ponder on the subject. Suddenly, a sharp, pulsating pain shot through all three of them, as black smoke started to leak out of their bodies. "_Aaarrghh!!_" they screamed, writhing on the ground in pain. "What's happening to us!? What's with this pain!?"

* * *

"I feel it...!" Zero said, his eyes glowing brightly.

"Ohhh..." Sedusa pouted. "Just when I was getting to the good part..."

"There are more out there, like you," Zero said. "Those who have grown dependent on the black gas... I can sense their presence... in the industrial district. Go, Sedusa. Bring them to me... bring me the Rowdyruff Boys!"

"You're the man..." Sedusa smiled as she headed off.

* * *

It was quiet at the National Research Center. Miyako and Kaoru sat at the sofa, watching the television, when Ken and Peach entered the room.

"Miyako, Kaoru," Ken greeted them. He looked around the room. "Where's Momoko?"

"The same place she's been for the last three days," Kaoru replied. "Outside, standing in front of Zack's grave, just staring at it."

"You're supposed to be her friend. Aren't you going to do something about this? She can't stay in that mood forever, it's unhealthy!"

"We've tried everything to cheer her up..." Miyako said with disappointment, "but nothing works... we've tried taking her to Kintokidou and candy stores across town..."

"And we took her to all kinds of bookstores and offered to buy her some mangas," Kaoru added. "Nothing we do seems to phase her. It's like she's a completely different person now..."

"That was I was afraid of..." came the Profesor's voice as he entered the room.

"Papa?" Ken looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I was always afraid something like this might happen," Utonium explained. "This is why I was always so defensive about you girls getting too close with anyone..."

"Because if something were to happen to them..." Kaoru said.

"…it would hurt us emotionally, more than any physical injury," Miyako finished. "Just like Momoko..."

"But she can't stay like that forever! She eventually has to get over it!"

"But Kaoru... don't you remember? The first time Zack disappeared, it seemed that Momoko wasn't going to, until she saw him here when he started working. I think, deep down, Momoko is a very emotional person, and Zack brought out a lot of those emotions, showing all of us a side of her we would've never seen before..."

"Hmm... Maybe we could at least try one more time to talk to her... for today, anyway."

* * *

At that time, Sedusa had returned to Zero's base with the Rowdyruff Boys, who had reverted back to their younger forms, still unconscious.

"Here they are, dear," Sedusa said to Zero, "just like you asked."

"Excellent, Sedusa," Zero said. "Now, if you would be so kind as to wake them up..."

"My pleasure..." Sedusa nudged them with the heel of her boot. "Wake up, kiddies! Nap time is over!"

"Nnngh..." Brick groaned as he and the other boys slowly woke up. "Who are you calling little, you---" He stopped when he heard the sound of his own voice. It sounded younger than before. He looked at Boomer and Butch, and then himself, realizing they had turned back into their original forms. "What!? We're little kids again? No fair! Right when we were about to do something really bad, too!"

"You still can..." Zero said to him. The boys turned around and saw Zero, still sitting in his throne. "...if you're willing to pay a price."

"Who are you supposed to be, tin-face?" Boomer asked Zero.

"How dare you talk about my precious Zero like that!?" Sedusa yelled at Boomer, ready to hit him.

"Enough," Zero said, motioning for her to stop. "Their rudeness is obviously a telltale sign of the true extent of their maturity. After all, they are only little kids, and childish pranks and insults seem to be the only things they're capable of."

"What was that!?" Brick said, clenching his fist. "Who the heck are you, anyway!?"

"If you're willing to listen... I am your benefactor. The power given to you is lost, which is why you have returned to your previous forms. However, I have the capability of restoring those powers."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Butch asked. "Hurry up and give us our powers back!"

"Patience," Zero said. "Nothing in this world is free, as I hope you know. I will restore your lost powers, but only under one condition... I would have you perform a task for me."

"What? You think you can boss us around, and tell us what to do, just because you're older than us?" Brick asked.

"Should I take that as a 'no'?" Zero retorted with another question. "If that is the case..."

"W, wait! Okay, you got a deal. What do we gotta do so we can get our powers back?"

"I knew you would see it my way," Zero said, his eyes glowing. "First things first, though... Sedusa," he said to her, "bring these boys their 'down payment'." Sedusa walked off into the darkness of the chamber, and shortly afterward, returned holding a canister of black gas. She placed it on the ground in front of the boys, and then walked over to Zero's side.

"Wait a minute," Boomer said, looking at the canister. "I've seen this somewhere before..."

"I'm sure you have," Zero said. "Inside that canister is the very thing that gave you your new powers. Simply open it, and those powers will be yours again. And now, for your task... once you have regained your powers, I want you to go out... and destroy Powerpuff Z."

"Powerpuff Z?" Brick looked at Zero, and grinned. "When you put it that way, you don't even need to ask We were looking forward to settling the score with those prissy girls, anyway! Come on, boys!" All three boys grabbed the canister and pulled it open, laughing as the cloud of black gas wrapped around them. Sedusa then whispered to Zero.

"Are you sure you can trust them?" she asked. "They could turn on you at any moment..."

"Those boys are rebellious and unpredictable, true," Zero whispered back, "but in the end... they are nothing more than pawns, used once by my predecessor, and again used by me..."

* * *

"Zack..." Momoko said, sitting on her knees in front of his grave behind the lab. Miyako and Kaoru both came out of the lab and approached her.

"Momoko..." Miyako tried to get her attention. "You can't just sit there, doing nothing all day..."

"It's been three days now," Kaoru said, "and this is the only thing you've been doing every time you're here."

"…" Momoko was unresponsive.

"I'm going to put this bluntly, Momoko," Kaoru said. "Zack is dead, there's nothing you can do to change that, so get over it!"

"It's easy for _you_ to say!" Momoko snapped back. "You don't know what it's like! You don't know how I felt when I was with him, when he said he loved me, when he..." Momoko trailed off, and clenched her fists. "...just, don't talk to me acting like you know everything!"

"Momoko," Miyako walked up to her, raised her hand, and suddenly, slapped Momoko across her face, surprising both Kaoru and Momoko. "Kaoru is right! You need to stop acting so selfish!"

"M, Miyako..." Kaoru looked at her, then at Momoko, who was holding her hand against her cheek where she was slapped.

"Sitting here and mourning isn't going to solve anything!" Miyako said. "It's unhealthy for you, and you're making everyone else feel bad, worrying about you! What do you think Zack would say if he saw you like this? Do you think he would approve of this?"

"Miyako..." Momoko sobbed. She looked back at Zack's grave, then back at her friends.

"I'm sorry for doing that, Momoko... but you need to come to your senses. I know you're sad about Zack, we all are. But he wouldn't want you to dwell on it forever..."

"…" Momoko was silent for a moment. "…You're right…I'm sorry…" She started sobbing again.

"Momoko," Miyako said, higging her friend. "I'm not saying that it's wrong for you to be sad... I'm trying to say that you can't stay this way forever."

"If you really want to make Zack happy," Kaoru said, "the best thing you can do for him is to cheer up and move on. I'm sure he would say the same thing."

"Miyako, Kaoru..." Momoko stopped sobbing, and hugged them both. "You're both right. I'm sorry for making you and the others worried. And thank you for trying to help me... you two are the best friends I could ever ask for..." Momoko stood up straight, and wiped the tears away from her face. "I made a promise to Zack, a promise I intend to keep. Moping and pouting won't help me there. Besides... heroines like me don't cry forever like a helpless baby!"

"Now _that _sounds like the Momoko we know and love!" Kaoru said.

"You're not alone, Momoko," Miyako said. "We're all in this together. You, me, Kaoru, the Professor and the others... even Zack. We need to keep fighting to protect Tokyo City, so that Zero can never claim another victim again!"

"Right!" Momoko said, nodding. Just then, Ken and Peach came running out of the lab.

"We have a problem!" Ken said in a panic.

"Monsters have been spotted, da-wan!" Peach yipped.

* * *

"Hey, check this out!" Brick said as he pulled back the strap of his slingshot, and fired a black energy ball into the 5th floor window of an apartment building. Suddenly, the entire floor lit up, and erupted in an explosion, blowing out all the other windows. The explosion then traveled across the other floors blowing out the windows as they burst into flames.

"Nice one!" Boomer and Butch cheered, watching the flames rise.

"My turn, my turn!" Boomer said, pulling out his throwing discs. He hurled them across the road, tearing up the asphalt as they rolled down the road. They passed through several cars that were parked on the side, slicing them all apart.

"Cool!" Brick and Butch said, watching the cars burst into flames.

"Let me try!" Butch said, pulling out his bat. He noticed a car that wasn't destroyed yet, and rushed over to it. With one foot, he kicked the car into the air, and swung his bat, sending it flying, and crashing into a skyscraper.

"Now _this_ is what I was talking about before!" Brick said, laughing. "This has _gotta_ be something Tokyo City won't forget!"

"Stop right there!" shouted three voices. They boys recognized the voices immediately and turned around to face Powerpuff Z. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Z!"

"About time you showed up!" Brick said to them. "We almost ran out of stuff to wreck here, and were ready to move on to the next block!"

"Like we'd let that happen!" Buttercup said, shaking her fist the boys.

"But we won't have to," Butch said, "since you three showed up."

"What are you talking about?" Bubbles asked.

"Heh, isn't it obvious?" said Boomer. Brick pointed at the girls.

"Right here, right now!" Brick shouted. "A three-on-three match, Powerpuff Z vs. Rowdyruff Z! A fight no one will ever forget, and this time, there won't be any interruptions!"

"If that's what this is all about..." Blossom said as she and the girls pulled out their weapons. "...then we accept! But be prepared to lose!"

"We'll see who the _real _losers are!" Brick launched several pellets from his slingshot at Blossom. She jumped up to avoid them.

"Shooting Yo-Yo!" Blossom hurled her weapon at Brick, but he caught it with his hand.

"Pathetic!" he said with a grin, loading it into the strap of his slingshot. The yo-yo began to glow with a black aura as he pulled back. "Revenge Rebound!" He released the strap, firing the yo-yo back at Blossom, striking her.

"Try this! Discus Impact!" Boomer said, hurling his discs at Bubbles.

"Bubble Boing!" Bubbles waved her wand, creating a barrier of bubbles in front of her. However, just before they reached the barrier, the discs flew around them and struck Bubbles from behind, exploding as they did.

"Why you... take this! Hurricane Lutz!" Buttercup swung her hammer around.

"Heh, I can do that, and more!" Butch said. "Typhoon Twist!" Butch began swinging his bat around, basically imitating Buttercup's attack. As the two struck, sparks flew as they bounced off of each other.

* * *

In his lair, Zero and Sedusa watched the fight between the boys and girls unfold on a large monitor.

"They seem to be winning," Sedusa said.

"Perhaps..." said Zero. "But one should always expect the unexpected."

"What do you mean?"

"A similar scenario has occurred like this before, not too long ago. Just as one of those boys said, their last fight was 'interrupted'. I told them to fight Powerpuff Z in the hopes that 'interruption' will come out of hiding..."

* * *

The girls were forced back-to-back as Rowdyruff Z surrounded them.

"They're a lot stronger than the last time we fought them," Bubbles said.

"Now that you mention it," Brick said, "I do feel better than last time! I guess Tin-Face put a little something extra in that fix or something!"

"'Tin-Face'?" Buttercup asked. "You don't mean...!"

"Zero!" Blossom knew who he was talking about. "If you met Zero, then you know where he's hiding!" she shouted at Brick. "Tell us, now!"

"We ain't telling you nothing!" Boomer said, sticking out his tongue at them.

"And no one tells us what to do, especially not you girls!" Butch added.

"Now then, let's finish them off!" Brick and the boys readied their weapons preparing to attack again. Just as they unleashed their attacks, however, a white streak of light appeared just above the girls, creating a dome of light and blocking the boys' attacks. "What the!?"

"Looks like you couldn't cut it again, Powerpuff Girls Z..." said a familiar voice. The girls looked up to see Bell floating right above them. "Honestly, I don't know how you three manage to save this city so many times if you have this much trouble..."


	23. Chapter 21

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 21:** A Forgotten Heritage? Bell's Secret

"Who is that girl?" Sedusa asked Zero as they watched a large monitor. The display showed Bell, hovering over Powerpuff Z, holding up a barrier against Rowdyruff Z's attacks. "Is she another member of Powerpuff Z?"

"No," said Zero, "just another legacy left by my predecessor..." He continued looking at Bell, his yellow eyes glowing "How interesting..."

"What is?"

"That girl received her powers from the black gas, and yet she does not show any signs of withdrawal. How is that so...?"

* * *

"Bell!" the girls were surprised to see her again.

"You again!?" Brick said, glaring at Bell. "I'm tired of you butting in!"

"What's the matter?" Bell asked him. "Aren't you going to run away like last time?"

"Heheh, not this time. We're a lot stronger than before. Let's get her, boys!" They continued attacking the barrier, Bell flinching with each blow. "I hope you have a plan, ladies, because it won't be long now!"

"He's right," Buttercup whispered to Blossom. "Who knows how long Bell can hold them off?"

"I think I have an idea," Blossom whispered back. "But we have to get the timing perfect, and we have only one shot." Blossom whispered her plan to the other girls. They nodded, and looked up at Bell. "Bell! Drop that barrier! We can handle them!"

"You're kidding, right!?" Bell asked. "I'm barely able to keep this up! What makes you think you three can---"

"Just do it, or all of us are done for!"

"…Hmph, fine. But if I end up dying, you three stay away from my funeral!" Bell did as they girls requested, and the white dome of energy faded away.

"Looks like you're out of juice," Brick said, grinning.

"Don't count us out yet!" Blossom said. "Bubbles, Buttercup! Now!" Blossom and Bubbles flew off in opposite directions, and Buttercup stood her ground. "Here, Bubbles!" Blossom shot out her yo-yo, launching a bolt of pink energy.

"I got it!" Bubbles said, catching the bolt in the center of her wand, holding it in place. She swung the wand, and a ball of electricity flew out it. "Buttercup, your turn!"

"Okay!" Buttercup said, holding up her hammer. The ball of electricity flew into the hammer, and was absorbed by it. The hammer began to glow, and increased in size exponentially.

"I didn't know they could do that!" Boomer said.

"No fair, having a secret weapon!" Butch added.

"Oh, crud..." Brick muttered to himself.

"Get ready to fly, Rowdyruff Z!" Buttercup shouted at them, swinging the now massive hammer. "Buttercup Finish!!" With one swing, she caught all three boys in the attack, and hurled them off into the sky.

"You'll pay for this!!" the boys screamed as they vanished from sight.

"That's what they all say!" Buttercup said as her hammer returned to normal. The girls regrouped, and Bell slwly landed next to them.

"Hmm... not bad, I guess," Bell said, shrugging. "Maybe you're not completely hopeless, after all."

"Bell," Bubbles looked at her.

"Hm?"

"...Thank you for helping us. If you didn't show up when you did..."

"I didn't step in just to save you three! I just, didn't want to see those boys get their way!"

"Whatever you say," Buttercup remarked.

"What was that!?" Bell asked as the two glared at each other intensely.

"Hold on a second!" Blossom intervened. "The first time we met, Bell, you wanted to destroy us. The time after that, you ran off chasing after Rowdyruff Z. And now, you just helped us beat them. Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"I bet she's working for Zero," Buttercup said. "After all, she's a black gas monster like Rowdyruff Z and Sedusa."

"Zero? Who's Zero?" Bell didn't seem to know the name. "I'm not on anyone's side except my own! And who are you calling 'monster'!?" She and Buttercup started glaring at each other again.

"What I want to know," Bubbles interrupted, "is why you dislike us so much?"

"…" Bell was quiet. "…I guess I should have expected that question."

"Hm?"

"If you come with me, I'll not only tell you, I'll _show_ you my reasons. If you don't want to, that's fine with me." Bell began to fly off.

"What should we do?" Blossom asked.

"I say leave her alone," Buttercup said. "She could be leading us into a trap. Remember how badly she said she wanted what we had?"

"I say we follow her," Bubbles objected. "If we learn more about her, maybe we can come to some sort of understanding and make friends with her."

"She did save us from Rowdyruff Z, who said they were working for Zero," Blossom said, "and she doesn't seem to know anything about Zero himself, so I say we follow her. Come on!" Blossom and Bubbles flew off after Bell, and Buttercup reluctantly followed.

* * *

"Looks like they trumped your pawns, Zero dearie," Sedusa said.

"It matters not," Zero said. "I did not expect them to win, anyway. They accomplished what I intended for them, which was to draw out that girl, Bell... I must find out why she hasn't suffered from withdrawal of the black gas, and see if she can also become an asset to my plan..."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Not I, you. Go, Sedusa. Follow those girls, stay out of sight, and find out the true nature of that girl. Do not attempt to fight them. The girl Bell seems vigilant, and it would inconvenience me if she were to follow you back here."

"Whatever you say, my darling, mmhmhmhmhm..." Sedusa giggled as she hopped away. After she left, Zero looked at the canister maker, noticing that it was starting to slow down in its production of cansters. "Hmm... soon, very soon..."

* * *

The girls followed Bell for about an hour, into an unfamiliar part of Tokyo City.

"Where are we?" Blossom asked as she looked around.

"I don't recognize any of these buildings..." Bubbles said.

"I thought we had seen all of Tokyo City by now," Buttercup added.

"It's the historical district," Bell answered. "You probably never saw it because of all the skyscrapers in the city blocking the view of it from above."

"Historical district?" Blossom asked.

"That's what I said. This place has buildings that date all the way back to the Edo Era." Bell stopped in front of an old-fashioned house, very similar to the one Miyako's grandmother lives in. "Right here," she said as she landed inside the gate of the house.

"What is this place?" Bubbles asked as the other girls landed.

"...My home." Bell grabbed the black compact out of her belt, opened it, and pressed a button. Right in front of the girls, she cancelled her transformation, returning to her normal form.

"Bell?" Blossom looked at her, confused.

"You undid your transformation?" Buttercup asked. "Why?"

"Like it matters," Bell said. "You didn't know who I was before, so it really doesn't matter at all. Before we go inside, I ask that you undo your transformations."

"What!?" the girls gasped.

"Is there a problem with that? It's not like I'd go blabbing to the world who you are. Besides, I already gave you the courtesy of showing my identity."

"…" the girls looked at each other for a while, then finally decided to comply with Bell's request. They all pulled out their compacts and undid their transformations. Unknown to them, however, Sedusa was peering over the wall, watching the entire spectacle.

"…!" she gasped, her eyes widening as she saw Powerpuff Z's true identities. "Those girls, they're...!"

"There," Kaoru said, putting her compact back in her belt, "we did as you said. _Now_ are you gonna tell us what we came here to find out?"

"Come inside," Bell said as she took off her shoes and entered the house. "And don't touch anything in here." The girls followed her into the house, taking their shoes off as per Japanese etiquette.

* * *

It was very dark and quiet inside Bell's house. The only lights were the sunlight from outside and several weak bulbs in each room.

"Upstairs," Bell simply directed as she headed for the staircase.

"It feels very empty here..." Miyako said.

"Where are your parents?" Momoko asked Bell.

"…I don't have any parents," Bell replied. "I live here alone."

"Bell, you mean you're an orphan? How are you able to live here on your own?"

"I manage. Sometimes the neighbors give me handouts, other times I find work I can do for a day or so. I manage to squeeze by day by day."

"Bell..."

"I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me. You asked, so I answered." They coninued walking through the house. On the second floor, Bell pulled on a rope dangling from the ceiling, pulling down a small ladder leading into an attic. "Up here." One by one, the girls climbed up the ladder, up into the dusty old attic. There was nothing inside except for a single bookshelf filled with musty tomes. Bell carefully pulled one of the books out of the shelf, and slowly opened it.

"What is this?" Kaoru asked.

"It's a book of my family history," Bell said. "It show all my ancestors, from World War II, all the way back to the Edo Era."

"That's the second time you mentioned the Edo Era," Miyako said.

"There's a reason for that." Bell carefully flipped several of the brittle pages, to an almost ancient piece of artwork, depicting a young girl in a small kimono, standing with two others like her, and a middle-aged man standing behind them. "This is a painting of my ancestor, from the Edo Era."

"Those girls...!" Momoko gasped as she looked at the picture. "It can't be!"

"No way..." Kaoru said. "Are you trying to say your ancestor was..."

"One of the Ooedo Chakichaki Musume!?" the girls asked in unison.

"...It's supposed to be a secret, but yes," Bell said. "My ancestor was one of the three heroes who defeated and sealed away a powerful demon..."

"Him..." Momoko said.

"Before my grandparents died," Bell continued, "they told me about my heritage, and said that my ancestor's power was handed down through the generations, so that if a great evil were to ever threaten Tokyo City, I would be able to protect it... and then, there was the iceberg..."

"The iceberg with the white and black lights?" Miyako asked.

"Yes. That was when all the monsters started appearing, and also the same time you... Powerpuff Z, showed up. I thought that this was the crisis my grandparents told me about, and I thought that my ancestor's power would awaken inside me so that I could help protect the city..." Bell started to look away, with disappointment in her eyes.

"...but it didn't, did it?" Miyako asked her.

"No... nothing special happened to me. I was forced to watch helplessly, as you three fought off the monsters, and even re-sealed the demon Him, just like my ancestor did. I couldn't stand it. That's why I despised Powerpuff Z. I believed that it should have been me that did all those things..."

"Bell..."

"And about six months ago, something happened. I can't remember what it was, but the next thing I knew, I was wearing the same uniform as Powerpuff Z. I thought it was finally my chance to show that I could do your job, and, because of my heritage, do it _better_..."

"Six months ago..." Kaoru thought back to what happened back then. "Ah, that was about the time Zack, I mean, the first Zero awoke, wasn't it?"

"I think so..." Miyako said. "If I remember correctly, he had targeted Bell with one of his black gas canisters..."

"So what you're saying is," Momoko asked, "is that Zero's black gas awoke the power laying dormant inside Bell?"

"I don't really know what any of you are talking about," Bell said, "but it sounds like I should thank this Zero for awakening my powers."

"Maybe the first one, but not the one we're fighting right now."

"What do you mean?"

"There are two Zeros. The first one was the one one awakened your powers. The second Zero... killed the first, and was also most likely the one who sent Rowdyruff Z after us."

"I see... then I guess my target is clear..."

"Does this mean you'll fight together with us?" Miyako asked.

"I never said anything like that," Bell said. "I'll find this 'other' Zero and beat him myself. That should be undeniable proof that I'm the greater hero!"

"You're still going on about that?" Kaoru asked. "Fine then, but if you get yourself into trouble, don't expect us to come rushing out of nowhere to help like you did!"

"I wouldn't ask for it, anyway. Now that you know my secret, I ask that you three kindly leave, and keep this secret to yourselves."

"Bell..." Momoko looked at her. "...okay."

"Momoko...?" Kaoru and Miyako looked at their friend.

"...but I hope you'll change your mind in the future, and hopefully, we can learn to work together." Momoko then headed back down the ladder, and Miyako and Kaoru followed shortly afterward. Bell remained in the attic, looking at the picture of her ancestor.

* * *

Moments later, Sedusa returned to Zero's base to report her findings.

"You saw Powerpuff Z's true identities?" Zero asked her.

"Yes, and I recognize them, too," Sedusa said. "They're those three girls who always came to Sakurako's shop together... Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru, I think their names were."

"Hmm... I already knew of Blossom's identity, but not of the other two. This information is most useful. What about the other one, Bell?"

"Apparently she's the descendant of a heroine from ancient Japan, almost exactly like Powerpuff Z. She said that her ancestor's power was passed down to her..."

"Even more intriguing... so her powers only awakened in reaction to the black gas, most likely to prevent her from being completely corrupted by its effects. The black gas must have surely left her body by now, which rules her out as a possible asset."

"She's also decided to make you her top target. Aren't you worried about that, darling?"

"Not at all. As I've said before, we are safe as long as this place remains hidden, and I doubt those foolish boys would tell those girls anything." Zero rose up from his throne. "But now that I have information on all three of Powerpuff Z's identities, I can carry out another step of my plan."

"That's wonderful!" Sedusa said, clinging to Zero's arm. "And what about that other girl, Bell?"

"Leave her be. She is nothing but a reckless vigilante. If by chance we encounter her, I will simply crush her like any other insect that stands in my way. Hmhmhmhmm..." Zero's eyes began to glow, and the plate over his mouth opened up at its grooves as he laughed louder. "Ahahahahahahah!!"

"Mmm... did I mention that I like it when you talk like that?" Sedusa asked, shortly joining Zero in his maniacal laughter.


	24. Chapter 22

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 22:** Zero's Plot of Despair! Families in Crisis!

Hidden in his lair, Zero watches several monitors, each of them displaying Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru, leaving their homes and heading for the lab. Sedusa approaches him from behind, holding on to his arm.

"So now that you know their identities," Sedusa asked, "what are you going to do to them, my darling Zero? Are you going to pick them off one by one, torture them, before they have a chance to transform?"

"...No," Zero answered. "There would be no satisfaction for in a victory like that. I will do far worse then kill them when they are off-guard."

"Oh? What could be worse than that?"

"...I will break their spirits, watch them despair, and finally, destroy them at the peak of their power, thus establishing my superiority over them!"

"Sounds deliciously evil... but how do you plan to do those things?"

"It is simple... but we will need to act quickly."

* * *

_Ding-dong!_ The doorbell rang at the Akatsutsumi residence.

"Who is it?" Mrs. Akatsutsumi called out.

"Special delivery for Momoko Akatsutsumi," said the person on the other side of the door.

"Momoko's not here, though... Kuriko! Can you get the door? There's someone with a package for Momoko!"

"Coming, coming!" Kuriko sped down the stairs and to the door. When she opened it, however, she saw a large pair of red boots. "Hm? Santa?" she asked, looking up to see Zero glaring down at her, his eyes glowing brightly.

* * *

"Excuse me!" a voice called out from the outer side of the gate to Miyako's home.

"Oh my, do we have a visitor?" Miyako's grandmother asked herself as she shuffled over to the door. "Yes, who is it?"

"I seem to be lost, and was wondering if you could give me directions," the voice replied.

"Oh dear, being lost isn't good. I'll be right there!" Miyako's grandmother slowly headed to the gate and opened it. "Oh my, such a beautiful young lady you are."

"Thank you for your compliments..." Sedusa said with a grin.

* * *

_Ding-dong!_ The doorbell sounded at the Matsubara's apartment.

"Coming!" Kaoru's father, better known as the wrestler Masked Tokio, said as he headed for the door, opening it. "How can I help y---" He was interrupted when the person on the other side violently shoved him, knocking him to the other side of the room.

"Honey!" Kaoru's mom cried, rushing to her husband's side.

"Dad!" Kaoru's brothers also ran over to help. Kaoru's older brother turned to his attacker. "Hey, you!" he yelled at them, "You can't do that to my dad!"

"I believe I just did..." said Zero as he slowly entered the apartment.

* * *

"See you tomorrow, Professor!" Momoko and the others said as they waved goodbye, leaving the lab.

"Be careful on the way home, girls!" Utonium called out, waving back to them. He headed back inside, and saw Ken working at one of the computers. "What are you doing, Ken?"

"Doing some 'research'," Ken replied. "I'm trying to highlight all possible locations that Zero could be hiding."

"Trying to find Zero's base? That could take days, even months, using conventional methods, and that's only when searching Tokyo City alone."

"Exactly. There's a near-infinite number of possible locations in Tokyo City, so I'm trying to find places that would be potentially _impossible_."

"Potentially impossible... the first hidden lab where Zack, the original Zero, was hidden underground just on the outskirts of the city, so... chances are, the 'second facility' Zack mentioned before could be underground, as well..."

"But underneath Tokyo City is nothing but the sewer system. I've already checked. It would have to be both outside the city, and be reasonably close to the first facility, to make travel between the two places both quick and unnoticable."

"I see... that's my boy!" Utonium said, patting Ken on the head. "Let me help. With both of us working together, we could find it much faster."

* * *

"I'm home!" Momoko said as she swung open the door. There was no response. The television was still on, but there was no one watching it. "Huh, that's strange... Mom? Dad? Kuriko?" she called out. There was still no response. "Where is everyone?" Momoko walked over to the television to turn it off, and lying next to the remote was a fragment of a disk. Momoko picked it up and looked at it. "What is this?" she asked herself.

* * *

"I'm home, Grandmother," Miyako said as she took off her shoes and entered her home. Almost immediately, she could feel the strange sense of emptiness throughout the house. "Grandmother? Are you here?" Miyako began to look through each room, looking for her. When she reached her grandmother's room, her bedmat was still on the floor. On top of it was another disk fragment, like the one Momoko found at her house. "What is this?"

* * *

"I'm back!" Kaoru shouted as she threw open the door to her apartment. "Did any of you miss---" She stopped when she saw the inside of her home. There were signs of a struggle in the living room, a table knocked over and a broken lamp. "Wh, what the!? Dad! Mom! Big Bro! Anyone! Answer me!" Just then, Kaoru heard a quiet sobbing sound. She looked around, wandering into the kitchen. She looked under the dining table to see her younger brother, curled up in a ball.

"K, Kaoru...!" he stammered.

"What happened here?" Kaoru asked her brother. "Where's Dad and everyone else?"

"Dad, Mom, Big Bro, they're... they're..." He handed Kaoru a disk fragment, and started crying. "He said to give it to you, or he'd never bring them back!"

"What!? Are you saying they were kidnapped!?"

* * *

"Ehh!? Miyako and Kaoru, you too!?" Momoko gasped as they met up with each other back at the lab, each of them holding a disk fragment in their hands.

"It's true..." Miyako sobbed. "Grandmother just disappeared..."

"And someone broke into my home," Kaoru said. "They left my little brother behind to hand me this piece of disk."

"Who would do such a thing!?" Momoko asked.

"I have a good guess... but first, we need to show the Professor these fragments."

* * *

"What!?" the Professor gasped. "Missing!? Kidnapped!?"

"That's what we said!" the girls said, holding out the three disk fragments. "We found these at each of our homes." The Professor took the fragments and examined them closely.

"Hmm... they all appear to go together. Maybe if we put the pieces back together, we can find out what happened to your families." The Professor simply taped the three fragments together, and put the reassembled disk into one of the computers. The monitor displayed an image, mostly fuzzy, but slowly cleared up, showing Zero's face.

"I knew it!" Kaoru said. "I knew it had to be him!"

"If you are reading this message," Zero said on the video, "then all three of you have received my message... Powerpuff Girls Z."

"What?" Miyako gasped. "H, he knows who we are? But how?"

"I have taken your families," Zero continued. "They are my prisoners. If you don't believe me, I'll let you see them yourselves." Zero stepped aside, and the image zoomed in on a large cage, holding the girls' families, and Sedusa, setting up several black gas canisters around the cage. Zero then stepped back in front of the camera. "I plan to finish our little grudge once and for all. You will meet me at the coordinates shown at the end of this message. If you do not show up, this footage will be the last time you ever see your families in one piece again. I'll be waiting, Powerpuff Girls Z..." The image on the monitor switched to a map of Japan, with a blinking red dot in the mountains of Hokkaido.

"Zero, that son of a...!" Kaoru began trembling, clenching her fists.

"Unforgivable...!" Miyako said, tears starting to well up.

"He's crossed the line, this time!" said Momoko. The girls began to run outside to transform.

"Wait, girls!" Utonium called after them. "You shouldn't just rush in like that! It's obviously a trap!"

"But he has our families!" Kaoru said. "Every second we waste here is another chance for that monster to do something to them!" They continued to head outside, ignoring the Professor's warning.

"Girls..."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the designated meeting place, Zero stood atop a snowy plateau, gazing at the sky, waiting for the girls to appear.

"Let us go, you big, red, girly-haired meanie!" Kuriko yelled at Zero.

"What could you possibly want from all of us?" Miyako's grandmother asked.

"Quiet, you!" Sedusa said, kicking the cage. "He doesn't have to tell you anything!"

"If that's the case..." Kaoru's dad said, "then I'll break this cage down myself!" He began to tackle the cage, pulling at the bars.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Zero said, not turning around. "If you break out, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to put you down like a pack of wild beasts." Just then, he saw three colored streaks heading straight for him.

"Zero!!" the girls shouted at him as they landed in front of him. "Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!"

"Powerpuff Z!" the girls' families cheered.

"So, you've finally shown up," Zero said, "Powerpuff Girls Z..."

"You've gone too far this time, Zero!" Blossom said. "Let those hostages go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. It was the only way to guarantee you would show up."

"Then we'll break down that cage and save them ourselves!" Butterrcup rushed past Zero, ready to crush the cage with her hammer.

"Wait!" Zero shouted to her. "If you do that..." He pulled out a small button. "I'll be forced to press this button. Look around the cage." Buttercup stopped and saw several canister of black gas surrounding the cage. "With a push of this button, the canister will open, turning all of them into monsters. And, with such a high concentration of gas, who know? The effects could be permanent, or even fatal..."

"You..." Buttercup turned back around, and rushed at Zero. "Why you!!!" She swung her hammer with all her might, breaking off a large piece of his mask, and knocking him to the ground!"

"Zero darling!" Sedusa cried out.

"Hmhmhmhm..." Zero chuckled as he slowly rose up. "Not bad... but in the end, a futile attack." The broken mask on the ground turned into black gas, and wrapped around Zero's head, regenerating, just like before. He looked at Buttercup's face, her eyes full of anger. "Yes... that look on your face... one of the most breathtaking sights in the world..." He turned to Sedusa. "Sedusa, keep an eye on our prisoners. I wish to finish this fight on my own." He then turned to the girls. "Now, let's begin our little duel, shall we? Oh, and one more thing... don't try to anywhere near the cage until our fight is over, or I'll blow those canisters wide open."

"The only thing that's gonna blow open..." Buttercup said, "is your head!"

"Buttercup, wait!" Bubbles stopped her. "If you attack him again, he'll just regenerate again!"

"If you're going to waste time talking..." Zero pulled out his saber. "Then I'll make the first move!!" He lunged at Blossom and Bubbles, bringing down his blade. They flew back as the blade struck the ground, causing an avalanche to rumble down the plateau they were standing on.

"Strawberry Frappe Shoot!" Blossom threw her yo-yo at Zero, striking him in the chest.

"Bubble Champagne!" Bubbles attacked, her swarm of bubbles popping all over his body.

"This will finish you!" Buttercup said as she rushed Zero from behind. "Megaton Dunk!" She brought her hammer down right on top of Zero's head, sending him plummeting into the deep banks of snow below, fragments of his body breaking off as he fell.

"Did we get him this time?" Blossom asked. Her answer came soon, as Zero emerged from the snow, slowly floating upwards. The falling fragments flew back to him, regenerating his body again.

"Are you finished, yet?" Zero asked the girls.

"No matter how many pieces we break off of him," Bubbles said, "he just pulls them back to his body and regenerates."

"That's it!" said Buttercup. "Maybe we can stop his regeneration if we can keep those pieces from reaching him! I'm going to attack him again, Bubbles. When you see the parts flying, try to catch them with your bubbles before he can regenerate." Zero flew up towards Buttercup, thrusting his blade. Buttercup twisted to the side, as Zero flew past her like a giant red bullet.

"Here goes! Get ready, Bubbles!" Buttercup began to swing her hammer back and forth like a pendulum. "Swing Sonic Volley!" She launched a flurry of green bolts at Zero, and with every strike, broke off a piece of his body.

"Balloon Catcher!" Bubbles swung her wand, and captured the broken pieces as the fell. After Buttercup stopped attacking, Zero fell out of the sky, crashing down in front of the cage where the girls' families were being held.

"Zero!" Sedusa cried out, rushing over to him. "Oh, say something, my darling!"

"…" Zero was unresponsive.

"Looks like we win this time, Sedusa," Buttercup said as she and the other girls landed at the edge of the plateau. "Now, let those people go!"

"I don't think we've won..." Blossom said.

"What do you mean? Look at him! Zero's out cold, and we have his body parts, so he can't regenerate."

"...Hmhmhmhm..." came a chuckling sound. Suddenly, Zero began to rise up, Sedusa stepping back from him. "Eheheheheeh..." His eyes started glowing brightly. "You really think you have a chance to beat me? You think separating the parts of my body will give you an advantage? Then you are seriously mistaken!" Just then, the fragments in the bubbles began to turn into black gas, and shot out, break the bubbles and encircling Zero as he regenerated once more.

"Not again!" Buttercup said.

"Don't you girls get it? I am invincible! I cannot be defeated, and I cannot die!"

"Do we really have no chance against him?" Bubbles asked.

"While you contemplate your defeat..." Zero turned to face his hostages. "Let me ask you something," he said to them. "Do you not notice something out of place amongst you?"

"What are you talking about?" Kaoru's dad asked, looking around the cage at the others.

"Ah, where's my granddaughter?" Miyako's grandmother asked. "Where is Miyako?"

"Momoko's not here, either," Kuriko said.

"Neither is Kaoru!" said Kaoru's older brother.

"That is because they are somewhere else," Zero said to them.

"He, he wouldn't...!" Blossom said.

"Where are they!?" Kaoru's dad yelled at Zero. "What did you do to our children!?"

"I've done nothing to them. I simply said they are somewhere else, which means, not in that cage. Do you really want to know where they are?"

"Zero, no!" Blossom shouted at him. Zero pointed straight at the girls.

"There's your answer, standing right behind me! Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, or should I say, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru?"

"Wh, what?" Kuriko gasped. "you mean my big sis is Blossom?"

"And my baby is Bubbles?" Miyako's grandmother asked.

"And Kaoru's... Buttercup?" Kaoru's dad also asked. "And she's... wearing a skirt?"

"Hey, it's not like I have a choice when I do this!" Kaoru barked at him, then immediately covered her mouth.

"And there's your proof," Zero said. "Your three daughters have been fooling you the whole time. Whenever they weren't home, they were probably off fighting monsters and risking their lives as Powerpuff Z!"

"That's enough, Zero!" Blossom shouted. "Stop this right now! Just let them go! It's us you wanted, isn't it!?"

"Heheheheh..." Zero chuckled, turning around to face her. "Then do something about it... attack me! Don't you despise me? After all, I did kill your lover!"

"L, lover!?" Mr. Akatsutsumi gasped. "M. Momoko, you never mentioned having a, a..."

"Momoko actually had a _boyfriend_!?" Kuriko asked.

"Zero, you, you...!" Blossom started to become enraged, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.

"Yes, yes... that look, those emotions..." Zero said. "The exact same look he had just before I killed him... doesn't that make you angry, make you hate me? Go on then, release all that pent up anger, and let it loose on me!"

"…" Blossom did not respond. She just stood there, glaring at Zero.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to attack? If you don't..." Zero pulled out the detonator. "Perhaps_ this_ will give you some incentive!"

"You woudn't dare!" Buttercup said. "Don't just stand there, Blossom! Stop him!"

"If you don't," Bubbles said, "our families will...!"

"I'm going to count to ten," Zero said, "and if you don't attack, I'll press the button. One... two... three..."

"Blossom!"

"Four... five... six..."

"Momoko!" her family shouted out to her.

"Seven... eight..."

"…" Momoko relaxed her body, and loosened all the tensed up muscles in her body. "No..." she said. "I won't fight you, Zero."

"Blossom, no!" Buttercup yelled. "You have to fight! Fight him!"

"I can't, Buttercup," Blossom said back to her. "not like this..."

"Is that a 'no'?" Zero asked. "In that case... _ten_!"

"Shooting Yo-yo!" Blossom suddenly shot out her yo-yo, striking Zero's hand, and knocking the detonator out of his grip. She pulled it back, and shot out the yo-yo again, smashing the detonator into pieces.

"What!? No!!" Zero watched as the detonator fell to pieces before his eyes. "I thought you said---!"

"I said I wouldn't fight you the way I was..." Blossom said. "I've found out what you're planning here, Zero, and it won't work on me!"

"What!?"

"I made a promise to someone very dear to me..." Blossom placed her hands over her heart, looking down. "He made me promise that if I fought you again, to not do it out of anger..."

"How can you not fight me in anger?" Zero asked. "I killed your lover, I kidnapped your family! Doesn't that make you despise me!?"

"Of course it does..." Blossom then stood up straight, and stared down Zero with determination. "But Zack told me, 'hatred only breeds more hatred', like what you've been trying to do here! But I won't be fooled by you! I'm not going to fight you because I want revenge for what you did to Zack or my family... I'm going to fight... because it's the right thing to do! You need to be stopped, Zero, so that this cycle of hatred will be broken, and you'll never bring pain and suffering to another person again!" Blossom body began to light up with a burning white aura.

"Wh, what is this!?" Zero shielded his eyes from the light. As the light around Blossom burned brighter, the canisters around the cage began to rumble. Suddenly, the gas inside the canisters started fading away into nothingness.

"Zero!" Sedusa shouted to him. "The canisters! They're...!"

"The gas is disappearing!?" Zero looked at the canisters. "But how? It's not possible!!"

"Blossom!" Bubble and Buttercup rushed over to her side.

"Bubbles, Buttercup..." Blossom turned to them. "This is the promise I made to Zack... I ask that you two do the same. No matter how much Zero angers you, you need to empty your hearts of those emotions. He was toying with us the entire time, trying to fill us with hatred."

Blossom..."

"Go get him, Kaoru!" the Matsubaras cheered for Buttercup.

"I believe in you, my little Miyako," Miyako's grandmother said to Bubbles.

"You've become so mature, Momoko..." The Akatsutsumis said to Blossom.

"That's what a real hero looks like!" Kuriko shouted to her. "Now show this guy what a real hero's power is like!"

"Let's go, Bubbles, Buttercup!" Blossom said, as all three girls began to glow with white auras. Blossom started off with her own attack. "Cream Anmistu Spin!" Blossom tossed her yo-yo out at Zero, grinding it against his head, and shattering the blue dome on top, exposing his computerized brain. The pieces that broke off instantly disappeared.

"What!?" Zero was shocked. "My regeneration...!"

"I've found out your secret, Zero!" Blossom said. "Your regeneration is fueled by anger and hatred, which is why everytime we attacked you before, your body kept recovering! But now that we don't hold those emotions in our hearts now..."

"...There's no reason for us to hold back!" Buttercup said. "Swing Sonic!"

"Bubble Popper!" Bubbles attack struck first, causing Zero to stumble backwards, then Buttercup's attack hit him square in his chest, knocking him into the side of the mountain, kicking up a cloud of snow. When the cloud cleared, Zero was still lying on the ground, showing no signs of his injuries healing.

"D, Damn you, Powerpuff Girls Z...!" Zero grunted, clutching his chest. "One of these days, you'll pay for this! Sedusa! We're leaving, _now_!!"

"Yes, dear! Of course!" Sedusa rushed over to Zero, hoisting his arm over her shoulders. "You'll pay for doing this to my precious Zero, Powerpuff Z!" The two then escaped at super speed, vanishing from sight.

"Way to go, girls!" the girls' families cheered as Buttercup tore open the cage, freeing them.

"...We're sorry for not telling you about our secret..." Bubbles said. "We didn't want you to worry about us, and also, so that something like this wouldn't happen..."

"Please forgive us," the girls said, bowing.

"What's there to forgive?" Kaoru's dad asked them. "You just saved us!"

"And besides," Miyako's grandmother said, "you three are our children..."

"And nothing will ever change the fact that we love you," the Akatsutsumis said. The girls ran over to each of their families, hugging eachother.

"Thank you for understanding..." Blossom said. "But we still have a job to do. First, we need to get back home. And then, there's still Zero to deal with..."

"We understand, honey," her parents said. "Just do your best, like you have from the very start!"

"Right! Come on, everyone... let's go home." The girls carried their families and flew off, back to Tokyo City.

* * *

In his hidden base, Zero staggered in, his injuries still visible, and being supported by Sedusa.

"Zero, dear..." Sedusa said, "you shouldn't have fought them alone. If you had let me help you, we could have..."

"I... underestimated them again..." Zero said. "But that doesn't matter, now. Look." He pointed at the canister generator, which was completely still and quiet. It was no longer producing black gas canisters. "The time has come... for the final phase of my plan... soon, Tokyo City, and then the entire world, shall feel my wrath..."


	25. Chapter 23

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Chapter 23:** Battle Under Mount Fuji! Zero's Plan Unfolds

"What!?" the girls asked the Professor. "You've found Zero's base!?"

"That we did," Utonium replied. "It took some time, but we think we've found the most likely location of second facility involved in the Zero Project."

"It was difficult at first, da-wan," Peach said, various cables coming off of his body, "but thanks to Ken, we found it a lot quicker than we would have!"

"What's all that stuff on you, Peach?" Kaoru asked.

"I hooked Peach up to our detection systems," Ken explained. "My guess is that if Zero had more black gas canisters, we could enhance Peach's detection power to find even the slightest trace of black gas. But there's good news, and bad news involving our discovery..."

"What's the good news?" Momoko asked.

"We've pinpointed the location of Zero's base to be underground, right beneath Mount Fuji."

"Mount Fuji!? That close!?"

"It seems so. The entrance should have been buried under the hardened magma from when Him made the volcano erupt, but somehow, Zero found a way inside."

"What's the bad news?" Miyako asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"There was a very strong concentration of black gas in that area, da-wan," Peach said. "So strong, I almost shorted out!"

"We were forced to shut off all our detection equipment," Utonium said. "But now we are certain: Zero, and the second facility, are hiding under Mount Fuji!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kaoru said. "Let's get going! If we're lucky, we could catch Zero by surprise and end this once and for all!"

"Or, he might expect us, and set up a trap," said Miyako.

"Either way," Momoko said, "we'll have to go there sooner or later. The longer we wait, the more time Zero has to hatch another plan."

"I agree with Kaoru," Utonium said. "From what you said about your last battle with him, he was significantly damaged. It might be possible that he is still recovering, which give you the perfect opportunity to strike."

"Then it's settled," Momoko said, holding her hand out. "We'll finish this fight once and for all, together, right?"

"Right!" Miyako said, placing her hand on Momoko's.

"Right!" Kaoru also said, placing her hand on Miyako's.

* * *

As Powerpuff Z flew off towards Mount Fuji, Buttercup looked at Blossom.

"Um, Blossom?" Buttercup called to her.

"What is it, Buttercup?" Blossom asked.

"It's about that one day, when we we're fighting Zero... you really impressed me that day."

"True," said Bubbles. "You showed real courage in what seemed like a hopeless situation."

"Y, you think so?"

"Yeah," said Buttercup. "Bubbles and I were talking about it earlier... you remember how much we used to argue over who should be the leader of Powerpuff Z? Well, after that day, we think that you deserve that title most of all."

"Really!?" Blossom was shocked to hear that, especially from Buttercup. "…But I probably wouldn't have been that way if it wasn't for Zack... if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have found the courage to do what I did back then..." Blossom shook her head. "But, we're getting off track! We can talk about this after we kick Zero's tin can! Look! I can see the entrance to the facility!" At the foot of Mount Fuji, there was a large gate, leading down into the ground, surrounded by hardened lava.

* * *

Zero sat in his throne, still recovering from his injuries, as Sedusa placed a black gas canister in front of him.

"Here you are, darling," Sedusa said, "just like you asked." Suddenly, there was a loud, rumbling sound, and the entire room began to shake. "Wh, what was that?"

"They've found us..." Zero said. "I still need more time to recover... Sedusa, go and greet our guests, and hold them off as long as you can..."

"Yes, dear. Whatever you want!" Sedusa ran off into the shadows. After she left, Zero bent over and picked up the canister, holding it in his lap.

"They may have found me," Zero said, stroking the canister, "but they are far too late." He pulled the lid off the canister and began to laugh as the black gas enveloped him.

* * *

At the entrance to the base, the girls were forced to break down the large gate. Sparks flew as it hit the ground skidding. The girls landed inside and approached with caution.

"It's so dark in here..." Bubbles said. "It gives me the chills..."

"Me too..." said Blossom. "But we can't be scared now. Somewhere in here, Zero is waiting for us."

"Too bad you'll never reach him," called out a voice.

"Who's there!?" Buttercup asked, readying her hammer. Out of the shadows emerged Sedusa.

"This is as far as you'll go, Powerpuff Z," Sedusa said, grinning. "My darling Zero's plan is already complete, and when he sets it in motion, there will be no stopping it!"

"Why are you helping him, Sedusa?" Bubbles asked her. "You don't even know what his plan is!"

"I don't care! As long as I'm by his side forever, nothing else matters! If you girls want to take my precious Zero away..." Her nails extended into claws, and her hair began to writhe wildly. "...you'll have to go through me, first!"

"Then you leave us no other choice, Sedusa!" Blossom said. "Let's go, you two!" Blossom charged in, starting the attack. "Daifuku Shoot!" The yo-yo hammered into the ground as Sedusa leapt back.

"Bubble Champagne!" Bubbles let loose a swarm of bubbles, but Sedusa rushed right through them, slicing them apart with her nails. One of her locks lashed out and wrapped itself around Bubbles.

"Bubbles!" Buttercup cried out. "Swing Sonic!" She launched a bolt of energy from her hammer, tearing the living hair apart and freeing her friend.

"My hair!" Sedusa screamed as it came back to her. "Look what you did to my beautiful hair! I'll make you pay for---"

"Enough!" shouted out a voice. Out of the shadows, Zero appeared, completely recovered, not a single scratch on his body.

"Zero!" the girls shouted.

"Zero, darling!" Sedusa ran over to him, hugging him. "You've come to rescue me again. You're too sweet, my dear..."

"Sedusa..." Zero said, looking down at her. "You have done an excellent job. Because of you, my wounds are healed, and I am ready to carry out the final phase of my plan..."

"Oh, that's wonderful, darling..."

"However..." Suddenly, Zero's blade shot out of Sedusa's back. The girls gasped, and Sedusa let go of Zero, her eyes widening.

"Z, Zero, my dear... w, why?" she asked.

"...there is no place in my plan for you," Zero said to her.

"But... I thought that we... that you..."

"That I what? Loved you? Such a thing is a contradiction of my existence!" Zero pulled his blade out of Sedusa, and kicked her to the ground. "I don't ever remember saying that I loved you, anyway. I only said you could stay here."

"Sedusa!" Bubbles cried out.

"Zero...!" Buttercup glared at him. "Turning on your own helper like that... you're even _worse_ than Him!"

"Hmhmhmhmm... I'll be waiting for you, deeper inside, Powerpuff Girls Z..." Zero slowly faded away back into the shadows.

"Running away again, Zero!?" Blossom yelled out.

"...I'm such an idiot, aren't I?" Sedusa asked.

"Sedusa!" Bubbles rushed over to her. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Why does it matter...? I'm nothing but a monster, your enemy..." She looked to her side. "Ever since that day, the day I was set free, I thought that freedom was all that I wanted, all that I needed... but it wasn't. When I saw Zero... when he saved me, let me stay at his side... I felt special... then I realized what it was I truly wanted..."

"Sedusa..."

"I wanted to be loved. I wanted Zero to love me, just like Souichirou... loved... Sakurako... but I guess that was just a foolish dream... wasn't it...?" Sedusa closed her eyes, and black gas began to leak out of her body. As the gas left her body, she slowly faded away, leaving nothing but the red snake necklace that she always wore on the floor.

"Zero..." Buttercup shook her fist, "that no good, double-crossing son of a...!"

"That's enough, Buttercup," Blossom said. "Cursing him isn't going to stop him. Zero _will_ pay for all the pain he's inflicted on everyone. We'll make sure of it!" Blossom and Buttercup rushed ahead into the shadows after Zero. Bubbles took one final look at Sedusa's necklace.

"Sedusa..." she murmured. "It wasn't foolish for you to want to be loved... you just looked for it in the wrong place..." She then followed the girls into the darkness.

* * *

In the deepest, darkest chamber of the facility, the girls stumbled through the darkness, trying to find Zero.

"Zero!!" Buttercup yelled, her voice echoing through the room.

"It's over, Zero!" Blossom shouted out. "Come out and show yourself, you coward!"

"I am not hiding..." Zero's voice resonated through the room. Then a single light appeared on the far side of the chamber, and there sat Zero in his throne. "I am right here. Welcome, Powerpuff Girls Z... to Ground Zero."

"Ground Zero?" Buttercup asked. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"It is in this very location," Zero said, standing up from his seat, "that I will trigger the beginning of the end of the blight known as mankind."

"What!?" Blossom gasped. "You're insane!"

"We'll never let you get away with something like that!" Bubbles said.

"You don't seem to understand the situation you're in," Zero said as he slowly approached them. "So allow me to _illuminate_ it for you!" He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, the room slowly started to light up, one section at a time. The girls looked around, and what they saw left them almost breathless. Every last inch of wall in the chamber was lined with canisters full of black gas.

"There's so many of them...!" Blossom said.

"There must be hundreds, no, thousands of them!" Buttercup added.

"Yes," Zero said. "And this is only the beginning..."

"Why?" Bubbles asked. "Why are you doing all of this? What do you possibly have to gain through destroying the world?"

"I have nothing to gain," Zero replied. "It is simply... the nature of my existence."

"The nature of your existence?" Blossom asked. "What does that mean?"

"Heheheheh..." Zero chuckled. "I guess since you've made it this far, you're entitled to know the truth. Tell me, do you know how all of this started?"

"It started when Zero, the original Zero, woke up from his stasis, didn't it?"

"You're close, but incorrect. Why, do you think, that Zero awoke in the first place? It is because someone, or something, woke him up. Do you know who or what was responsible?"

"Enough cryptics!" Buttercup said. "Get to your point!"

"Very well..." Zero's eyes began to glow. "...It was me. I woke Zero from his twenty-year slumber."

What...?"

"That's impossible, though!" Bubbles said. "You only showed up after the original Zero woke up!"

"Wrong!" Zero said. "I was there long before that. If you're willing to listen, then I shall tell you a tale... a tale that begins nearly 21 years ago..."

* * *

_It all began with the greed and ambition of a single man... a single man, who ended the life of one, and ruined another's. The man paid for his sins in blood, and as punishment, his executioner was forced into a deep slumber... one that he was never to awaken from..._

_That executioner... was the original Zero._

_For 20 years he had slept. Although his body was asleep, his mind was wide awake. As time passed, his hatred for mankind grew. He loathed them, despised them, for destroying his life. And then, it happened...

* * *

_"What happened?" Blossom asked.

"You should know the answer to that," Zero replied. "After all, you were involved in that incident... one year ago."

"One year ago...? Ah! The iceberg!"

"Yes... the iceberg. Everything always begins with that iceberg..."

* * *

_My existence began the day that iceberg was destroyed. At the time, I was but a single glimmer of black light, the essence of my originator's soul. As fate would have it, I reached the underground laboratory where Zero was, still slumbering, his hatred still growing. I felt it as soon as I entered the machines there. Such intensity... it changed my nature completely, transforming me into an entirely new entity. I was no longer just a spark of some demon's soul..._

_I had gained my own sentience._

_I manipulated the machines in that laboratory, and awoke Zero from his slumber. It was I who set him loose upon the world, feeding off of his still-growing hatred, growing stronger as I did. It was I that also created the first seven canisters of black gas, the ones he used to wage his self-righteous crusade against Tokyo City. He was to be my ignorant pawn, until an unforeseeable element entered into his life..._

_The element known as "Momoko Akatsutsumi"._

_The day Zero met that accursed girl, I slowly began to lose control of she revealed her true identity to him that day in the laboratory, I urged him to kill her, but he refused. He let her go free, and in a blind rage, began to destroy the laboratory. I would not allow my existence to end there! Fortunately for me, I discovered a way out. The machinery in that lab was connected to this facility. Before he could finish destroying everything, I transferred my essence to this facility, taking with me all of the hatred I had absorbed. Without a pawn to manipulate, I was helpless, which is when I decided to create a physical shell of my own, so that I could carry out my plans myself._

_That shell is the Zero you see before you now.

* * *

_"If what you just said is true..." Blossom said, "then that means...!"

"Yes!" Zero said, his eyes glowing brightly. "I am the black light that released Zero from his prison! I am the one who helped him create the seven Sin monsters! And because of you, Momoko Akatsutsumi, I had lost my pawn! You had nearly ruined my entire plan, just because you became his friend!"

"It was for the better, then!" Blossom said. "You were nothing but a parasite, feeding off of his hatred! This is what Zack meant when he said, 'hatred only breeds more hatred'! Then the black gas is...!"

"The collective of all of that man's hatred, given physical form by my essence! And from feeding on that hatred, that power is amplified exponentially!" Zero raised his arms in the air. "All you see around you is the fruit of twenty years worth of hatred! Even this mechanical shell that speaks to you now is only another fragment of my being! And now, the time has come for me to become whole again! How amusing it is, that one person's hatred, started by the greed of another, would lead to this world's destruction! Ahahahahah, _ahahahahahah, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!_" Zero began to laugh maniacally, and suddenly, the entire room began to rumble. The canisters lining the walls began to crack, and one by one, shattered, releasing their contents into the room. The massive cloud of black gas began to encircle Zero as he was lifted into the air. The ceiling then began to break apart, pieces crashing down near the girls.

"We've got to leave, now!" Blossom shouted to the others. They nodded, and flew out of the chamber as fast as they could.

"You can run," Zero shouted at them, "but you cannot escape the wrath of twenty years of hatred!!!"

* * *

As soon as they reached the exit of the facility, the girls' compacts began to beep. They opened their compacts and saw the Professor on the display.

"Girls," Utonium asked, "what happened in there? We lost contact as soon as you entered the facility!"

"Professor, call the Mayor!" Buttercup said. "Tell him to evacuate the city! Something's about to happen, something _really_ bad!" Suddenly, the entire city began to rumble and quake. The girls looked behind them so see Mount Fuji erupt into flames.

"It's happening again..." Bubbles said.

"It's just like last time..." said Blossom. "…? Wait, what's that?" She pointed to the peak of the volcano. A giant hand rose out of the burning magma, clutching the edge of the crater. Then, another hand appeared, clutching the other. Finally, what appeared to be a gigantic, monstrous version of Zero emerged from the lava, the plate over his mouth replaced with rows of sharp, jagged, uneven teeth. "Is that... Zero...?" The enormous creature let out an ear-splitting roar, one that could probably be heard around the entire world.


	26. Final Chapter

**PPGZ: Zero Project**

**by Exdeathmore

* * *

****Final Chapter****:** The Last Encounter! The Nightmare's End

"How in the world did this happen?" Utonium asked the girls as he watched the giant monster emerging from the volcano of Mount Fuji.

"We found out everything just before this happened," Bubbles said.

"The Zero we've been fighting the whole time is a physical incarnation of Zack's pent up hatred, mixed with the power of Him's black light," Buttercup explained. "That single black light started all of this by awakening Zack..."

"...and feeding off of his hatred." Blossom finished. Suddenly, the lab began to rumble and shake, throwing everyone off balance.

"W-w-what's h-hapenning?" Ken asked as he stumbled around. The Professor grabbed onto the computer, and looked up at the monitor display of the large monster. It began to rise up higher from the crater of the volcano, and beneath its torso, something large was emerging. It was an enormous version of Zero's head, even larger than the rest of the creature's body, rising from the lava. Around it, small tentacles began bursting out of the ground. On the tips of those tentacles were miniature versions of Zero's head, wriggling around like a pack of worms.

"Dear lord..." Utonium said, "is that monster... mutating?"

* * *

_"Greed, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Rage, Pride... if God had declared an eighth Sin, it would be Hatred, especially after gazing upon my visage. For I am Hatred incarnate... I am the herald of the End of days, the One who reduces All to Nothing... I am... Omega Zero!!!"_

"Did you hear that just now?" Blossom asked the others. "It sounded like Zero..."

"That voice sounded like it was in my head," Bubbles said.

"We have to do something!" Buttercup said, pointing at the monitor. "Look!" The giant creature stayed in place, while more tentacles emerged from the ground, spreading out and making their way down the volcano. "Those things... they're headed straight for the city!"

* * *

The streets were crammed full of cars and people trying to flee the city after the mayor declared a mandatory evacuation. The cars were bumper to bumper, beeping at each other.

"Hey, hurry it up!" one of the drivers yelled ahead of him. "I wanna get out of here!" Suddenly, a large black tentacle burst out of the ground, flipping the nearby cars over. The Zero head on top of the tentacle opened the plate on its mouth, baring a set of fangs, screeching. The people began abandoning their cars as the Zero head lunged at them, grabbing one of the cars in its fangs and crushing it. It turned to one of the buildings neearby, opened its mouth, and fired a bolt of energy out of its mouth, tearing into the building and blowing it up. It let out another screech as more Zero heads came bursting out of the ground.

* * *

"This is an absolute disaster!" the mayor said to Miss Bellum as he looked out the window in his office. "A catastrophe of biblical proportions!" The mayor started tugging at his hair, panicking. "What are we going to do!?"

"Mayor, please control yourself!" Miss Bellum tried to calm him down. "I'm sure that Powerpuff Z can find a solution to this dilemma."

"Ah, you're right, you're right..." the mayor said, looking out the window again. Then he began to panic again. "But where are they!? Powerpuff Girls Z, _help_!!"

* * *

In the center of the park, another Zero head emerged from underneath the small playground, as children and their parents tried to run away from it. It turned around to see a mother and her son, who had tripped and fell while running. It loomed over them as the mother screamed, the child crying. The Zero head screeched, baring its fangs, and prepared to strike. Out of nowhere, It was struck by a large green bolt, and was knocked over on its side. Buttercup and the girls came rushing in to help the mother and child.

"Are you okay?" Bubbles asked them.

"We are now," the mother replied. "Thank you, Powerpuff Z!"

"You need to get away from here," Blossom told them. "Find somewhere safe and take cover!"

"Of course! Right away!" The mother carried her child as she ran off.

"There's no way we'll be able to save everyone," Buttercup said. "There's just too many of those things!"

"I know it seems hopeless," Blossom said, "but we still need to at least try!" Just then, there came several more screeching sounds. The girls turned to see the lab being surrounded by a pack of Zero heads. "The lab!"

"Professor, Ken, Peach!" Bubbles cried. Just as the Zero heads began to lunge at the lab, a ray of light shot out around the building. The Zero heads were severed as they dropped to the ground, the remaining parts of the tentacles flailing around wildly.

"What was that, just now?" Buttercup asked.

"Only one way to find out!" said Blossom. "Let's go!"

* * *

When they arrived at the lab, they could see Dynamo Z, standing tall and proud.

"Dynamo Z!" Blossom cheered. "Did you do that!?" she asked the machine. Just then, Dynamo Z's eyes slid open, revealing the Professor, Ken, and Peach inside, piloting it.

"Professor, Ken, Peach! You're all right!" Bubbles said.

"Just barely, though," Utonium said.

"Those Zero 'heads' almost got the drop on us when we were trying to finish Dynamo Z," Ken said.

"'Finish'? You mean you have a plan?" Blossom asked them.

"Yes, we do," said Utonium. "Come inside, quickly, we don't have much time!" Dynao Z knelt down as the Professor and the others hopped out of the cockpit and ran into the lab, the girls quickly following.

* * *

"We've discovered that the monster on top of Mount Fuji is not actually Zero," Utonium explained, "but an extension of his body, just like the Zero heads."

"An extension?" Bubbles asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means the real Zero is somewhere inside that thing, controlling it. Zero is acting as the creature's core. If you can get inside and defeat him, the creature and all the Zero heads should stop moving."

"Inside?" Buttercup said. "You mean we have to get up in that thing's face!?"

"We'd be torn to ribbons before we even get halfway there!" Blossom said.

"That's where Dynamo Z comes in," said Ken. "It will serve as your battering ram into that creature. We've loaded it up with as many weapons as we could, until those Zero heads attacked. Use Dynamo Z to fight your way up the mountain, and break through the outer shell of the monster on top to get inside its body."

"You'll only have one chance to get it right," Utonium said. "If we fail here, it's guaranteed that Tokyo City will be destroyed. And who knows how long it will be until that monster destroys the entire world!"

"We won't let that happen!" Blossom said. "Today is the day that Zero is stopped once and for all!"

"You can count on us, Professor!" Bubbles said. "We won't fail! Not after getting this far!"

"We'll tear that monster, and anything that gets in our way, to pieces!" Buttercup said.

"You girls are the most courageous people we know," Ken said to them.

"We know you can do it, da-wan!" Peach yipped.

"Use Dynamo Z wisely," Utonium said. "It might be your only way to break through the creature's armor."

"We'll be careful, Professor!" Blossom said, turning to the others. "Bubbles, Buttercup! Let's go! To the final battle!" The girls ran outside, jumping into Dynamo Z's cockpit. The Professor and the others watched as the giant robot flew off towards Mount Fuji.

"Be careful, girls..." Utonium said. "We're all praying for your success..."

* * *

As Dynamo Z got closer to the foot of Mount Fuji, the terrain slowly began to turn into what looked like a sea of Zero heads.

"There's so many of them!" Bubbles remarked. "Are we sure we can get through all of them?"

"Only one way to find out!" Buttercup said as they flew in closer.

* * *

_"They are approaching... attack, my servants! Protect your master!"

* * *

_The Zero heads looked up at Dynamo Z, screeched, and stretched out towards it.

"Here they come!" Blossom said. "Quickly, separate!" As the Zero heads approached, Dynamo Z separated into its three components, a small ship for each girl. They weaved in and out of the storm of Zero heads trying to devour them.

"It's time to fight back!" Bubbles said. "Let's recombine! I'll go first!" The three ships reunited in the sky, turning into a tank that was shaped like Bubbles. It came crashing down to the ground, crushing several Zero heads underneath its girth. Dynamo Z grabbed several of the Zero heads by their tentacles, and started spinning them around, creating a cyclone out of them. The nearby head were torn apart by the powerful winds of the cyclone, while the ones inside were tied up in a bundle. Dynamo Z then spun the tangled heads around, and flung them away.

"Way to go, Bubbles!" Buttercup cheered. "But we're not done yet! It's my turn. Separate!" Dynamo separated again, and recombined in a different formation. It transformed into a robot that looked almost exactly like Buttercup, with a drill for its right hand, a hammer for its left. A Zero head tried to lunge at it from behind, but Dynamo Z quickly turned around and struck it with its hammer, smashing its face into itself. "I don't have time to waste with small fry with you!" Buttercup said as Dynamo Z's drill began spinning. It turned back towards the peak of the mountain, and charged right into the cluster of Zero heads in front of it. The drill tore right into the tentacles supporting the heads rendering them useless. One of the heads tried to clamp its fangs down on the drill, which proved useless as the drill bore its way through, out the other side of the head. More heads came lunging at Dynamo Z as it leapt into the air.

"Not bad, Buttercup!" Blossom said. "We're almost there! Let's try this one more time! Separate!" Dynamo Z split apart again, and recombined one last time, turning into a robotic version of Blossom. It rushed past several of the Zero heads, leaving them behind. Suddenly, a group of Zero heads rose out of the ground, forming a wall to block the girls. "Out of the way!" Blossom said as Dynamo Z puled off its giant metal ribbon, It swung it back and forth like a blade, slicing the Zero heads into pieces. Their goal was in sight, almost palpable. "We're at the top!" Blossom said. "We're going to make it!"

"Not if we can help it!" shouted out three voices. Suddenly, Dynamo Z came under attack from three different directions. Then, Rowdyruff Z appeared, flying inbetween Dynamo Z and the creature in the crater.

"Not you three again!" Buttercup yelled at them. "Get out of the way!"

"No way!" Butch said.

"If we let you destroy Zero," said Boomer, "we'll lose our powers!"

"If we don't stop Zero now," Bubbles said, "he'll destroy everything, even you three!"

"That doesn't matter to us!" Brick said. "As long as we get the chance to destroy you first!" Just as the boys were ready to attack again, they were struck by a volley of white energy bolts. "Argh! Not again! Always interrupting!" They turned to see Bell, her fists aglow.

"Bell!" Blossom said.

"I'll take care of these troublemakers!" Bell shouted to the girls. "You go on and defeat Zero!"

"Bell... thank you, looks like we owe you again!"

"You can thank me by beating Zero! If you waste the sacrifice I'm making, I'll never forgive you!" Bell turned to Rowdyruff Z. "Looks like this will be the last time we fight, win or lose."

"I'm sick and tired of you interrupting!" Brick said. "Let's finish her off, boys! There's three of us and only one of her!" The boys surrounded Bell, their bodies beginning to glow with dark auras.

"Take care of yourself, Bell!" Blossom said as Dynamo Z headed towards the creature.

"...You take care, too, Powerpuff Z..." Bell murmured to herself, ready to fight Rowdyruff Z.

* * *

_"They wish to fight me so badly, then let them! They will be in my domain, and all hope of victory for them shall be gone the moment they enter..."

* * *

_Dynamo Z stopped right in front of the enormous creature that was basking in the lava of Mount Fuji's crater.

"Here we are, at last," Blossom said.

"This is for our families," Buttercup said, "for trying to kidnap them and use them against us..."

"This is for Sedusa," said Bubbles, "for deceiving her, and returning her loyalty and devotion with betrayal..."

"And this is for Zack," Blossom said, "for feeding off of his hatred, turning it into your weapon, and making him your first victim!" Dynamo Z stretched out its arms and legs, and the large jewel on its waist began to glow brightly. "Dynamo... Beeeaaam!!" Blossom shouted as Dynamo Z fired a large pink laser, striking the creature's body. Its armor began to crack, and eventually shattered, the broken fragments falling into the lava below. "There's out way in! Hurry!" Dynamo Z quickly flew into the hole, entering the belly of the beast.

* * *

Dynamo Z landed inside the creature's body, just in front of the hole it created. The entire interior was covered in a mess of large cables, that appeared fleshy in texture. Strange lights traveled across these cables as they slightly wriggled back and forth, throbbing as if they were alive.

"This place is very disturbing..." Blossom said, looking around.

"It feels so strange in here..." said Bubbles. "It feels like the life is being pulled out of me."

"This place makes my stomach churn," Buttercup said. "I feel like I'm gonna puke..." Suddenly, the hole behind Dynamo Z began to slowly close up. "Ah! The hole! This creature can regenerate too, just like Zero!"

"Because this creature is a part of Zero, like the Professor said," said Blossom. "Somewhere in here, Zero is controlling everything. All we have to do is---" Suddenly, Dynamo Z began to sink into the floor. The fleshy cables wrapped themselves around its feet, dragging it down.

"We're sinking!" Bubbles said, tugging at her controls. "The legs aren't responding! If we stay in here...!"

"We have no choice, then. Everyone out!" The cockpit opened up as the girls flew out. They turned around and watched as Dynamo Z was devoured by the living cables. "Goodbye, Dynamo Z... and thank you for your help." Blossom looked around the chamber. "I think it's safe to say that we should avoid touching these cables, unless we want to end up like Dynamo Z. Now if we only knew which way to go..."

_"Here... I am over here..."_

"!" Blossom gasped. "That voice... did you two...?"

"I heard it, too," said Bubbles.

"Me too," Buttercup added. "It was Zero again..." The strange lights flowing through the cables began to glow brighter. They were all traveling down the same direction, as if they were showing the way for the girls.

"I think he's expecting us..." Bubbles said, looking at the lights.

"Then let's not disappoint him," said Blossom as she and the others slowly followed the lights. The further in they went, the more the fleshy cables around them began to throb, and smaller cables appeared and ran inbetween them. Further in, the dark corridor began to light up, and they could see a wall on the far end. All the lights in the large cables were converging at one point, high above the floor. At that point was Zero, his arms and legs absorbed by the surrounding cables, exposing only his head and torso.

"_We meet yet again... Powerpuff Girls Z,_" Zero said in a robotic, reverberating tone. "_This time, however, will most definitely be the last time..._"

"You're right about that!" Blossom said, pointing at him with her yo-yo in hand. "It's all over for you, Zero!"

"You'll never harm another person again!" Bubbles said, pulling out her wand.

"I hope you've said your prayers!" Buttercup said, swinging her hammer around.

"_How confident you are,_" Zero said. "_But you are in my domain, now... even if your hearts are free of hatred, you are surrounded by hatred itself! No matter how hard you try, all your efforts will be in vain!_" Zero's eyes began to glow, and the surrounding cables began to bulge. From inbetween the cables, several copies of Zero emerged, all of them laughing as they approached the girls. "_I will make you suffer, I will make you despair... you will break, and then, you will die!_" The Zero clones began to charge at the girls.

"We'll see about that!" Buttercup said. "Hurricane Lutz!" She spun around and struck one of the copies. Surprisingly, it broke apart into pieces rather easily, and the fragments fell to the ground to be absorbed by the cables.

"Bubble Champagne!" Bubbles swung her wand, and surrounded the other Zero clones with a swarm of bubbles.

"Shooting Yo-Yo!" Blossom wrapped the yo-yo around the clones, and began to spin them around. "Buttercup!"

"I'm already on it!" she said as she readied her hammer. Right as the spinning clones reached her, she swung hard, breaking them all apart, their pieces scattering across the chamber. "Is that the best you can do, Zero? Those clones were even weaker than you!"

"_You dare mock my power?_" Zero asked. "_They were only a minor fraction of my full potential. Most of my power right now is being directed to destroying your city on the outside!_"

"So you're saying we're not worth the trouble?" Blossom asked Zero. "Then you're in for a big disappointment."

"_I grow tired of your overconfidence, you little brat! If you wish to see my true power... then I shall show you firsthand!_" The lights converging on Zero's body began to turn black as the section of wall he was attached to began to bulge outwards. Slowly, Zero's body was engulfed by a growing black globe. It grew bigger and bigger, until it almost reached from floor to ceiling. The black globe began to glow, and in a flash, it vanished. Zero was completely transformed, spikes protruding from his shoulders, elbows, and knees. The blade on his right arm was broader. The blue dome on the top of his head became transparent, showing a throbbing mass, almost like a human brain, underneath. The plate over his mouth split open into large, uneven, bloody fangs, and his yellow cloak of 'hair' split apart, turning into a pair of wings. "_I will take great pleasure in tearing you three apart, limb by limb! And you should rejoice, little Momoko! Soon, I will be sending you to join your precious Zack!_"

"Not today, Zero!" Blossom yelled back at him. The giant Zero raised his massive sword, swinging it down at the girls. They flew aside as it crashed into the floor, slicinginto the fleshy cables. He turned to the right to face Bubbles and Buttercup, and dragged his blade across the floor and up towards them. They dodged again, splitting up.

"Take this, you monster!" Buttercup said as she flew in close. "Megaton Dunk!" She slammed her hammer into Zero's right eye, cracking it open. Zero roared as he clutched his damaged eye with his left hand.

"Nice shot, Buttercup!" Bubbles cheered. Suddenly, behind her, another Zero clone appeared out of the cables, grabbing her by her arm and leg, and started to pull her into the wall.

"Bubbles!" Buttercup turned around and tried to help her friend, but the moment she turned her back to Zero, he retaliated by swatting her with the backside of his large hand, slamming her into the opposite wall. Before she could recover, though, more Zero clones appeared, and began dragging Buttercup into the wall with them.

"Bubbles! Buttercup!" Blossom cried out to them. She didn't know which one to help first. If she went to help one, the other would be completely pulled into the wall.

"_What's wrong, little Momoko?_" the giant Zero asked her. "_Aren't you going to help your friends?_"

"Blossom!" Bubbles shouted out. "Don't worry about us!"

"Just beat Zero!" Buttercup also shouted. "You're our only hope!" Blossom was forced to watch as both of her friends were pulled into the walls, disappearing from sight.

"_And then there was one,_" Zero cackled. "_Maybe I will absorb them, and make their power my own! Then I will be able to destroy this planet even quicker!_"

"You won't get away with this, Zero!!" Blossom screamed, charging straight at him. Zero reached out and grabbed her with his massive hand, squeezing her entire body, except for her head.

"_Now do you see?_" Zero asked her. "_You were doomed to fail from the beginning! I cannot die, I cannot be defeated! I am hatred incarnate, and you are only an insignificant insect to me!_" Zero placed Blossom down on the floor, as several Zero clones emerged from the cables, grabbing her. Blossom struggled to break free, but there were too many clones to fight off. "_Now, share the same fate as your friends! And give my regards to Zack when you meet him. Muahahahahahah!!!_"

'_I'm sorry, Zack,' _Blossom thought to herself. '_It looks like I couldn't keep our promise, after all..._' Blossom's vision began to fade as she was buried alive under the throbbing cables.

* * *

"So, you're just going to give up, like that?" a voice echoed in Blossom's head.

"That voice..." Blossom slowly opened her eyes, and looked around. She seemed to floating in a black void. "Zack...? Is that you...?" Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of Blossom, and Zack appeared, his body glowing with a faint, white light.

"Hello, Momoko," Zack said, smiling.

"Zack!" Blossom cried, floating towards him. "Is it really you?"

"You can't give up now, Momoko," Zack said to her. "Not when everyone is counting on you... listen." Blossom put a hand to her ear, and she could hear a very faint sound echoing through the void. "Can't you hear their voices?"

"…" Blossom tried harder to listen, and the sounds she heard became clearer.

"_Girls..._" she heard the Professor's voice.

"Professor...?" Blossom asked.

"_Girls..._" Ken and Peach's voices also called out.

"Ken... Peach..."

"That's not all," Zack said. "Keep listening..." Blossom did so, and soon, she began to hear chanting in the distance...

"_...Z... puff Z... Powerpuff Z... Powerpuff Z, Powerpuff Z! Powerpuff Z! Powerpuff Z!_"

"These voices...!" Blossom looked at Zack.

"Everyone's still out there," Zack said, "waiting for you and the others. They believe you can still win against Zero. _I _believe you can still win. The same goes for Bubbles and Buttercup, too." Zack approached Blossom and hugged her. "I heard you before... you wanted to say something to me, but never had the chance to say it to me in person. Well, now that we're here... do you still want to say it?"

"Zack..." Blossom stared into his eyes. "Yes... I do... I love you, Zack." Zack smiled at her.

"...and I love you, Momoko." He came closer to her and the two kissed. The black void around Blossom began to illuminate with white light, until she was blinded completely. Even Zack had vanished from sight.

"Zack, where did you go?" Blossom called out to him.

"Never forget, Momoko... as long as you keep the memories of our time together close, I'll be right by your side, always... so don't give up. You still have a job to do, and a promise to fulfill..."

* * *

"_Farewell, Powerpuff Girls Z,_" Zero cackled. "_Farewell forever!_" Suddenly, three white lights began to shine out of the walls and floor. "_What, what is this light!?_" He said as he shielded his eyes. The cables along the walls and floor began to bulge out, and as they burst open, the girls emerged, their bodies glowing with bright, white auras. "_No, not again! It's not possible! What are you!?_"

"We are the protectors of Tokyo City," Bubbles said, "and the entire world!"

"We keep the people safe from monsters like you," said Buttercup. "You're not even a real monster! You're just a hollow imitation of a ghost of a man!"

"Together," said Blossom, "we are..."

"Fighting Love Science Legend, Powerpuff Girls Z!" they said in unison.

"You aren't welcome in this world, Zero!" Blossom said. "You shouldn't even exist! So disappear, and take all of your hatred with you!"

"_How dare you continue to defy me!_" Zero roared at the girls. "_I will not die, I will not be defeated! Hatred shall consume all! And it shall start with you!!_" Zero swung his blade at the girls. Buttercup flew on front of the massive sword, and swung her hammer. As the two weapons impacted, Zero's sword began to crack, and shattered into hundreds of pieces. "_Aaarrghh!! Why you...!_" Zero began to reach out with his left hand to grab Buttercup, until Bubbles flew between them. She began blowing into her wand, creating an enormous bubble. The bubble wrapped around Zero's hand and it slowly began to melt away inside it. Zero roared again, this time in pain. Blossom pulled out her yo-yo, and hurled it Zero's head. With one powerful blow, it struck the dome on Zero's head, shattering it like glass, and exposing the brain-like object underneath. Zero staggered back and crashed to the floor with a loud _**THUD!**_ The girls landed in front of him, their bodies still glowing.

"This is end of you, Zero," Blossom said. "You've lost."

"_NO!_"Zero screamed out. "_It cannot end! I am hatred incarnate, I cannot die! I am forever!!!_"

"Enough!" The girls shouted, their auras burning brighter. "It's time for you to disappear, you phantom!" The girls' compacts began to glow white as they pulled them out and hel them together. "Triple Science Attack, Z Special..." An enormous amount of white light began to form at the point the compacts were touching. "...FINISH!!!" Suddenly, a large beam of light shot out, heading straight for Zero. The attack struck him, penetrating into his chest, and bursting out the other side, leaving a large, heart-shaped hole in his body.

"_I... I..._" Zero stuttered, the glow starting to fade away from his eyes. "_My name... is Zero. I... cannot die... I... cannot... be defea...ted..." _His yellow eyes faded to black, as rays of white light began to shoot out of his body, and eventually, erupted into a fiery blaze. A black haze began to rise out of the flames, and slowly dissipated in the air.

"We did it..." Blossom said, dropping to her knees. "We finally did it..."

"It's all over..." Buttercup said, placing her hand on Blossom's shoulder. "You did real good... leader."

"I'm sure that Zack can finally rest in peace now, thanks to you," Bubbles said.

"Bubbles... Buttercup..." Blossom stood up and gave them both a hug. "It's because of all three of us that we pulled this off. And also... the Professor, the people of Tokyo City, and even Zack, who were cheering us on... the credit goes to no single person." Suddenly, the entire chamber began to quake. The cables stopped throbbing, and began falling from the ceiling.

"What's happening?" Bubbles asked, looking around.

"Without Zero," Blossom said, "this creature's body is falling apart! We have to find a way out, or else we'll end up falling into the volcano with it!"

"But how!?" Buttercup asked. "We can't go out the way we came in, and Dynamo Z was sucked up by this thing!"

"Maybe not! Come on, we might still have a chance!" The girls flew off down the corridor, back towards where they had first entered. They eventually came across something sticking out of the ground. It was Dynamo Z's head.

"It's Dynamo Z!" Bubbles cheered. "Can we get it moving again?"

"Of course we can!" Blossom said. The girls forced open the cockpit and entered the robot. Its eyes glowed brightly as it pulled itself out of the tangle of cables. "Now, let's go home!" Dynamo Z winded up, and punched the wall hard. Without Zero's power enforcing it, the creature's body broke apart easily. Dynamo Z flew out of the enormous creature's body, and turned around. The giant monster resting in the crater of the volcano let out a roar as its body sank into the lava. The upper half of the creature's body tried to cling on to the edges of the crater, but was eventually dragged into the lava with the rest of its body. In a ripple effect, all of the Zero heads stopped moving, and dropped to the ground, going limp. They began to turn gray, and crumbled away into dust.

* * *

At the lab, the Professor and the others watched the monster's final moments and began cheering.

"They did it!" Utonium shouted. "They defeated Zero!"

"Like there was any doubt?" Ken asked as he danced around with Peach.

* * *

"Mayor," Miss Bellum said, "you can come out from under the desk."

"N, no!" the mayor said, curled up in a ball and holding his head. "I can't bear to watch my precious city be destroyed!"

"But mayor... look!" Miss Bellum grabbed the mayor and dragged him out from under the desk. The mayor looked up to see the last remaining Zero heads crumbling away, and off in the distance, near the peak of Mount Fuji, Dynamo Z was hovering in place.

"I, it's a miracle!" the mayor said.

"No, it's Powerpuff Z! They've saved Tokyo City again!"

"I've always had faith in those girls! Ohohohohoho!" the mayor chuckled to himself.

"Mayor..."

* * *

At the foot of the mountain, the Rowdyruff Boys were laying on the ground, rubbing their heads. They had turned back into their original forms, now that Zero's energy had dispersed.

"Oh, no!" Brick said, looking at his body. "We're stuck being kids again!"

"This stinks!" Butch said.

"Uh, guys..." Boomer tugged at the others' shirts, and pointed up. The boys looked up to see Bell looming over them, still in posession of her powers.

"Now then," Bell said, grinning. "Would you like to pick up where we left off?" The boys jumped up and ran away screaming.

"No fair!" they said. "How come she gets to keep _her _powers!? Shut up and keep running!"

"Hmph, typical." Bell looked up at Dynamo Z, and smiled. "Maybe I wrong about you three... maybe you do have what it takes to protect this city... after all, three heroes are much better than just one..."

* * *

Outside the lab, Momoko stood in front of Zack's grave, holding a small bouquet of flowers. She knelt down, and placed the flowers in front of the grave marker.

"It was because of you, most of all," Momoko said, "that we were able to win. Thank you, Zack, for everything... and goodbye..." Momoko stood up and was ready to leave, but then she stopped and shook her head. "No... not goodbye. As long as I keep our memories close to my heart, you'll be right there with me, just like you said..."

* * *

At long last, the nightmare was over. Zero, the manifestation of Zack's hatred of mankind, was defeated and destroyed. It would take months to undo the damage Zero had caused that day. The mayor dispatched teams to both research facilities, and had them both completely demolished, to ensure that all information pertaining to the Zero Project would be gone forever, and that a tragedy like this would never happen again. The people of Tokyo City would never forget the atrocities Zero had committed, but also, they would never forget the undying courage of the three girls who saved the entire world from total destruction, the Powerpuff Girls Z...

**Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z: Zero Project**

**THE END**

**

* * *

  
**

Several years later...

A young woman with red eyes and long, red hair tied up in a ribbon was walking down the sidewalk, going with the flow of the other pedestrians.

"Excuse me, miss," a voice called out to her. "I seem to be lost. Could you give me directions?"

"Sure I can," the young lady responded, turning around. "Where were you---" she stopped when she looked at the person addressing her.

"I was looking for a shop called Kintokidou. I hear they serve great red bean buns. You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?"

"...Of course I do! I was on my way there right now!"

"Really? What a relief, and a coincidence. Could you show me the way?"

"Sure, just follow me! By the way, my name is Momoko. Momoko Akatsutsumi. What's yours?"

"My name? My name is..."


End file.
